The imam at Friday prayers in Amsterdam's El Tawheed mosque spoke of "enemies of Islam", but in spite of that clear nod to Geert Wilders, the Dutch anti-immigration politician, and his film, the mood was decidedly relaxed.

"Wilders is laughable, he just wants attention," said Mohamed, a Moroccan welder among the 300 worshippers at the mosque listening to a sermon urging Dutch Muslims not to play into the hands of those who insult their religion by breaking the law.

Mr Wilders' 16-minute film Fitna, the Arabic word for strife, was posted on the internet on Thursday after months of speculation as to just how outrageous the ­stridently anti-Islamic MP's project would be.

In the event, it consisted of footage of terrorist attacks in New York, Madrid and London and other material juxtaposed with verses from the Koran. One of the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that provoked violent protests in Islamic countries two years ago was included, without its author's consent.

Across the Arab world, reaction to the film was muted and the subject was largely avoided in Friday sermons. A coalition of Jordanian media organisations said it would sue Mr Wilders and urged the government to review ties with the Netherlands and Denmark.

Iran called the film part of a "vendetta" against Islam. Several hundred people took to the street in Pakistan and the government summoned the Dutch ambassador. Muslim Bangladesh said the film could have "grave consequences", while the Indonesian government called it "racist" and "an insult to Islam", yet called for calm.

Omar Bakri, the Libyan-based radical Muslim cleric who is barred from Britain, did not think the film was very offensive. "On the contrary, if we leave out the first images and the sound of the page being torn, it could be a film by the [Islamist] Mujahideen," he said.

Jan Peter Balkenende, the Dutch prime minister, backed by the Slovenian presidency of the European Union, said the film "serves no purpose other than to cause offence". He added he had been heartened by the restrained reaction of ­Muslims in the Netherlands.

Terry Davies, secretary-general of the Council of Europe, the human rights body, attacked the film as "a distasteful manipulation which exploits ignorance, prejudice and fear".

The El Tawheed mosquefeatured in the film in a ­section showing a postcard of mosques with the words: "Greetings from Holland". A voice can be heard saying that adulterous men and women should be stoned.

Farid Zaari, spokesman for the mosque, whose congregation is a mix of Moroccans, Turks and some ethnically Dutch Muslims, said Mr Wilders had used the mosque's own recording of a sermon. "This was from a reading and it was taken out of ­context. You live by the laws of the country you're in and in the Netherlands stoning isn't used for anyone. It's not even done in much of the Islamic world," he said.