Muslims in Malaysia and elsewhere are boycotting Dutch imports in the wake of an incendiary Internet-posted movie by Dutch legislator Geert Wilders. The right-wing politician means to provoke with his 15-minute anti-Islamization movie, Fitna, which many say equates Islam with terrorism.

In Malaysia, where more than six of every 10 inhabitants are Muslim, the Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the film. The Religious Council has also urged the boycott of Dutch products, saying it created unnecessary tensions.

One of Malaysia’s leading supermarket chains initiated a "soft boycott" in 40 stores by marking the products with red labels. The chain buys $18.8 million worth of Dutch goods a year, ranging from dairy products and cosmetics to electronics.

Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said that a boycott would make the Netherlands "close shop" since the world's 1.3 billion Muslims make up the wealthiest population and are also the biggest importers. “We must not be afraid of losing trade with them. If we do, then we won't be thinking as Muslims, but more for our own self interests," he said.

The Dutch are fearful that the boycotts will affect their businesses. Malaysian dairy giant Dutch Lady Milk Industries took out full-page newspaper advertisements to denounce the film. Dutch businesses are even threatening to take legal action against Wilders if their businesses were affected by his film.

Oman, Jordan, Singapore, Pakistan and the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are among others who have condemned the film.

A recent article in The Economist explored the role financial illiteracy played in the subprime crisis and a growing global movement to improve financial education. Among projects mentioned in the article are Aflatoun, an Amsterdam-based program that attempts to "equip children with the knowledge and skills to become economically self-reliant citizens and empowers them to break the cycle of poverty through financial education." Another project discussed in the article was The President's Council on Financial Literacy, created by President Bush this past January.

John Hope Bryant, one of the vice chairman of the President's Council, is the founder of Project HOPE. Project HOPE has worked since the early '90s to use financial education as a way of alleviating poverty in urban communities.

At the Davos conference in January, Bryant summarized how financial education — what he calls the "Silver Rights Movement" — can reduce poverty.