This ten minute movie was written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born refugee, and was produced by filmmaker Theo van Gogh. The English-language film was shown on Dutch prime-time television in late August, 2004. 

Hirsi Ali, 37, grew up as a Muslim but has abandoned her faith.  She said her purpose was not to give offense but to draw attention to what she contends is widespread but hidden violence against Muslim women, even those living in Europe.

She turned to the power of images, she said, to focus attention on abuse, incest, forced marriages and the suicides of young Muslim women. Despite her writing and speaking on the subject for several years, she felt the subject has remained a public taboo. “Muslims deny it,” she said, “and many Dutch are afraid of taking it on, of causing religious tension, of being called racists.”

Critics argue that it is not the spoken text, but the writing of Qu’ranic verses on the women’s flesh that makes the film blasphemous. “There’s nothing wrong with what is said, this is reality,” said Loubna Berrada, whose family is Moroccan and who is an advocate for women’s rights. “But the nudity is wrong. It’s too confrontational.”

Within weeks, attacks on Hirsi Ali and Theo van Gogh began. A rap song, played on Dutch radio stations, called for her death.  Chat rooms and e-mail messages announced death threats. Then in November, 2004, van Gogh was murdered by an Islamofascist.  He was shot seven times, his throat was slit and two knives pinned a death threat against Hirsi Ali to his chest.

Click here for the script: Submission

Here is the movie Submission, with Dutch subtitles:

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