Anyone who reads the daily news knows that thousands of horrible, tragic, murderous incidents around the world involve Muslims. Actually, much of the endless slaughter targets fellow Muslims.

But it's unclear whether the bloodshed has any link to Islam and the vast faith's 1 billion adherents - or whether it arises from just a tiny fanatic fringe, rather like the few extreme Christians who murdered abortion clinic workers.

Now, a controversial Dutch legislator has released a video blaming Muslims in general, and a storm of protest is rumbling.

Geert Wilders started his own political party in 2004 with the slogan: "Stop the Islamization of the Netherlands." He wooed Dutch voters worried by the influx of nearly 1 million Muslims into the little nation of 16 million. His party won nine seats in the 150-member parliament.

Also in 2004, Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, a descendant of the great impressionist artist, was murdered by a Muslim extremist because he made a movie about Islamic suppression of women. Security guards were assigned to protect Wilders, and he vowed to make a similar film.

Dutch TV stations wouldn't air the legislator's movie, titled "Fitna" (strife, in Arabic), and a U.S. Web site refused to post it. But it was released Thursday on a British site, LiveLeak - and was viewed by more than 5 million people within the first few hours.

The brief movie shows hijacked airliners being flown into the World Trade Center by suicide volunteers. It shows captives being beheaded by militants. It shows terrorist bombings in Madrid and London. It shows women in shrouds being executed. Horror after horror is displayed.

It shows a preacher calling for the faithful to "annihilate the infidels and the polytheists. ... Allah, count them and kill them to the last one." It shows a 3-year-old girl declaring that Jews are "apes and pigs." It quotes Quran verses calling for holy war. It shows another preacher vowing that America and the West will be forcibly converted to Islam. Etc., etc.

Holland's government, fearing violent reprisals, swiftly disowned the film. Prime Minister Jan Balkenende declared: "The vast majority of Muslims reject extremism and violence. In fact, the victims are often also Muslims." He said the movie "serves no purpose other than to cause offense." The prime minister added that the problem is "not religion, but the misuse of religion to sow hatred and intolerance."

The European Union likewise condemned Wilders, saying free speech gave him a right to express his views, but his film will "serve no other purpose than inflaming hatred." The U.N. Human Rights Council and the Dutch Council of Churches declared that Wilders is inciting violence and prejudice.

Thousands of non-Muslim Hollanders marched to show acceptance of Muslims, and to show that Wilders doesn't represent the whole nation.

Angry protests began Friday in some Islamic countries. We don't know whether they will grow into severe violence. We hope volatile passions don't flare out of control.

Unquestionably, armed Islamic extremism has become the worst danger in the 21st century. But instead of fomenting hostility toward all of the world's 1 billion Muslims, it would be wiser to build bridges of friendship and cooperation.

If Islam's moderate majority around the world can be persuaded to renounce the killer fringe completely and unequivocally - as U.S. Muslims have done - perhaps that deadly segment will stop attracting suicide volunteers, and wither.

But it's unclear whether the bloodshed has any link to Islam and the vast faith's 1 billion adherents - or whether it arises from just a tiny fanatic fringe, rather like the few extreme Christians who murdered abortion clinic workers.

Now, a controversial Dutch legislator has released a video blaming Muslims in general, and a storm of protest is rumbling.

Geert Wilders started his own political party in 2004 with the slogan: "Stop the Islamization of the Netherlands." He wooed Dutch voters worried by the influx of nearly 1 million Muslims into the little nation of 16 million. His party won nine seats in the 150-member parliament.

Also in 2004, Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, a descendant of the great impressionist artist, was murdered by a Muslim extremist because he made a movie about Islamic suppression of women. Security guards were assigned to protect Wilders, and he vowed to make a similar film.

Dutch TV stations wouldn't air the legislator's movie, titled "Fitna" (strife, in Arabic), and a U.S. Web site refused to post it. But it was released Thursday on a British site, LiveLeak - and was viewed by more than 5 million people within the first few hours.

The brief movie shows hijacked airliners being flown into the World Trade Center by suicide volunteers. It shows captives being beheaded by militants. It shows terrorist bombings in Madrid and London. It shows women in shrouds being executed. Horror after horror is displayed.

It shows a preacher calling for the faithful to "annihilate the infidels and the polytheists. ... Allah, count them and kill them to the last one." It shows a 3-year-old girl declaring that Jews are "apes and pigs." It quotes Quran verses calling for holy war. It shows another preacher vowing that America and the West will be forcibly converted to Islam. Etc., etc.

Holland's government, fearing violent reprisals, swiftly disowned the film. Prime Minister Jan Balkenende declared: "The vast majority of Muslims reject extremism and violence. In fact, the victims are often also Muslims." He said the movie "serves no purpose other than to cause offense." The prime minister added that the problem is "not religion, but the misuse of religion to sow hatred and intolerance."

The European Union likewise condemned Wilders, saying free speech gave him a right to express his views, but his film will "serve no other purpose than inflaming hatred." The U.N. Human Rights Council and the Dutch Council of Churches declared that Wilders is inciting violence and prejudice.

Thousands of non-Muslim Hollanders marched to show acceptance of Muslims, and to show that Wilders doesn't represent the whole nation.

Angry protests began Friday in some Islamic countries. We don't know whether they will grow into severe violence. We hope volatile passions don't flare out of control.

Unquestionably, armed Islamic extremism has become the worst danger in the 21st century. But instead of fomenting hostility toward all of the world's 1 billion Muslims, it would be wiser to build bridges of friendship and cooperation.

If Islam's moderate majority around the world can be persuaded to renounce the killer fringe completely and unequivocally - as U.S. Muslims have done - perhaps that deadly segment will stop attracting suicide volunteers, and wither.