Dutch MP to be tried for views on Islam
Party leader who made film linking Koran to Nazism accused of inciting race hate
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Independent Minds
The Far-right Dutch politician who gained global notoriety with a film claiming links between the Koran and terrorism is to be put on trial for his public statements against Islam.
Geert Wilders, the leader of the extremist Freedom Party (PVV), said he was surprised that the Amsterdam Appeals Court is to allow his criminal prosecution for inciting hatred and of discriminating against Muslims by comparing their religion to Nazism.
"Mr Wilders' views constitute a criminal offence. [He] has insulted Islamic worshippers by attacking the symbols of the Islamic faith," the court stated, referring to his comparison of the Koran to Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf.
Mr Wilders, who sports a peroxide-blond shock of hair, said he was "stunned" by the judgment. "This was the last thing I expected. The fact that I can no longer speak openly but have to go before the court makes this a very black day, not just for me but for freedom of expression in this country," said the 45-year-old MP. "What I do is to express my opinion on behalf of half a million people who voted for me and who think it should be possible to criticise Islam. We are fed up with the 'Islamisation' of the Netherlands."
The politician is a household name in the Netherlands thanks to his frequent pronouncements on the country's Muslim minority and his calls to ban the Koran on the grounds of being "fascist". He became notorious last year after the release of his short film about the Koran, Fitna, which juxtaposed pages from the Koran with scenes of torture and violence, including the attacks on the World Trade Centre. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, called the film "offensively anti-Islamic".
The decision by the Amsterdam Appeals Court, the second-highest legal authority in the country, overturns an earlier ruling by the Dutch Prosecution Service, which last June dismissed hundreds of complaints against Mr Wilders on the grounds that his utterances had been made "in the context of public debate", a position that was endorsed by the Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, a Christian Democrat.
But yesterday, the appeals court argued that the criminal prosecution did not conflict with Mr Wilders' right to freedom of expression and said it based its decision on the standards set by the European Court of Human Rights. "This is my finest hour," said Gerard Spong, the lawyer who filed the complaints. "The American President Barack Obama said 'we are free in diversity' but you can't have diversity if you brand one group as extremists."
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Comments
Really? Was that from a fortune cookie, or read on the wall of a bus station lavvy?
Anyone may hold whatever views they want, as long as they keep them to themselves.
I don't suppose you are a supporter of the "religion of peace" incidentally? The Netherlands is now the most shocking country in Europe. Once a bastion of freedom, now the country which is most besieged by Islamic threat and blackmail. Undoubtedly it will be the nucleus of the future Islamic Caliphate of Europe.
I don't suppose you are a supporter of anti-antisemitism? (Many Muslims are Semites by the way..."
It could even be argued that his extremist rhetoric is actually helping the position of Muslims within Dutch society, whereby his constant demonisation of them has created an element of empathy amongst the general population.
Unfortunately this court case will supply him with more publicity and he will play the martyr card unrelentingly. Hopefully his pronouncements will continue to be so extreme that his already faltering credibility will ebb away to a point where he can fall back into the hole he crawled out of and never be heard from again.
Muslims aren't a 'race', any more than Christians are - they're proponents of an idea, and as medieval religious dogma goes..a pretty bad one, I think. I don't see Gert Wilders views on Islam as an idea, as right wing, and I'm a liberal. When did the truth become right wing, when did freedom of expression become criminal? - I'll tell you when... when the government, or courts in question fell to cowardice and to the appeasement of religious intolerance.
Organized theistic religion is a kind of fascism, possibly the worst kind. We should view them with the same enmity that most view ..say the BNP...(and no one would be likely to appear in court for insulting their intolerance) but the word 'religion' seems to blind people to such lucidity... bestowing them with an unmerited veneer of worthiness - justification for their 'sacred' bigotry.
Obviously, that's not to say most Muslims and Christians, for instance, take their beliefs to those extremes, but a lot do, and their poison in our societies is clear to see. And like the fascism of Nazi Germany, you either stand up to it, and defend your hard won freedoms, or be crushed.
I wish there were British liberal politicians with Mr Wilder's spine. That he now has to face a court for his views is shameful, and yet another kick in the teeth for freedom of expression.
You say 'like the fascism of Nazi Germany, you either stand up to it, and defend your hard won freedoms, or be crushed.'
I don't see how the status quo is any different, if a 'liberal' like you despite acknowledging in passing 'that's not to say most Muslims and Christians, for instance, take their beliefs to those extremes, but a lot do' I would say in this day and age, you should really get your facts straight- The number of moderate Muslims outweigh the extremists any day.
One more thing- being a journalist, nothing is more important for me than free speech- but do you think, in all honestly the intention behind Wilders movie or his comments had no ulterior political motive? Read up on Dutch history.
In the press he indulges in tabloid logic, but in court he will have the time to present a logical and veritas defence. There is enough within the Koran and Hadiths, for him to make such a defence such as:
"Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews."
During a trial he can cherry pick the quotes that support his standpoint and get a vast amount of coverage in he world's press. Ignoring him may have been a better idea. Remember that Nick Griffin was prosecuted on similar charges in the UK and was found not guilty.
Otherwise it is meaningless. Every tyrannical regime allows free speech, as long as it falls within its permitted boundaries.
Regardless of one's opinion on Wilders, persecuting him for political speech is plain wrong and a crime. Holland should take a hard look at its courts.
We need a Geert Wilders here to represent me and my many, many friends and acquantances who feel the same as I.
These leaders of Islam are wicked. In my opinion they are scared. Scared to lose their control over a large amount of people who have a free will and are not able to be brain-washed by people who wish death to non=believers.
It is only a matter of time until reason and free will are recognised in the world.
Great news that Mr.Obama has again been sworn in without a bible.
Lets preach goodness and not evil. I have been told by a so-called friend that I will go to hell. Not very nice is it. Lets uphold Freedom of speech, not for just a few fanatics.
On the other hand, there is a disturbing issue of selective freedom of speech. Does this prosecution send out a message that one cannot criticise any religion, even if the criticism is based on a rational analysis and facts? While at the same time, proponents of various religions are freely allowed to contemptuously denounce non-believers variously as evil, wretched, eternally damned, as apes and pigs, who can be slaughtered without remorse by the believers?
Though I do not always agree with Wilders, it's important to emphaise that he is not attacking Muslims. He is attacking Islam - as an ideology. What's wrong with that? Nothing.
If some Muslims have a problem with others insulting their religions beliefs, perhaps they should refrain from making offensive comments against women, gays, non-Muslims (and ex-Muslims), and etc.
-When a Dutch police officer stops you, be sure to ask for HIS ID-CARD. If they can not show you their ID then you can continue your way. They have no legal ground for almost anything if they can not identify themselves.
-RFID chips are already in our passports
-We always need to keep our passport with us everywhere we go. If we can't identify ourselves at any given moment we risk a fine of 50 Euro's. And we can even end up in jail for this. Ausweis Bitte?
-Dutch police can search you, in publicly designated places.
-ALL the calls made by (cell)phones will be stored for 6 months.
-ALL internet data will be stored for 6 months
-Government wants to start a database of fingerprints, of everybody age 6+. Those who come to get a passport. Starting June this year.
-The government allowed usage of technology which can home in on your mobile phone's SIM-card. Making you tracable everywhere, as long as you have your mobile phone with you.
-They don't need a warrant to listen in on your phonecalls anymore. You can be randomly wiretapped if lucky.
-The Dutch National Bank gave away the people's details to American authorities through SWIFT.
-The Dutch Government will keep an electronic child file. A database containing information about all our newborn children. Starting in the 2nd half of 2009
-Dutch police is trying out tasers this year. While it turns out that 98% of the people on which it is used, were UNarmed.
-The Dutch government wants to create a computer program linked to a camera/audio system. With this program the government thinks they can point out the people who will start a riot or any terrorist act. Meaning that they will use this system to arrest people, without charges, without any proof of them actually doing something wrong!
-We already have camera's in our cities which will measure the amount of sound/noise you are producing. If the noise you are producing exceeds certain levels, the police will automatically be notified.
-Let us not forget about our babies. Even our babies will be required to get their own baby passport. And you know how much babies can change in the first few years of their life.
-Don't believe me? Google it..
" The MP is not to be tried for his views on Islam; he is to be tried for expressing those views. Anyone may hold whatever views they want, as long as they keep them to themselves."
With that logic public demonstrations against anything are out of line? Muslims with placards saying 'Europe is the cancer, Islam is the answer' and other far worse divisive comments are out to then. As are Muslim majority demonstrations against the Israelis defending themselves against rocket attacks.
Politically correctness while seeming very urbane and polite is cowardice Mr.Plotka. And in this case it is social suicide.
Their religion can be built on a foundation of intolerance to non-Muslims and a primitive attitude that women are less than human and go with the livestock and other property. To myself these opinions are deeply offensive, but as an atheist my offense does not count - who ever heard of an atheist blowing something up because he or she was upset?
If you choose to live in the West you must also choose to modernize your values and understand an offensive attitude should not be tolerated just because you may throw a tantrum. If you do not agree with our societies do not come to live here; and the small number of these people who may have been born here should look to emigrating to a society more in tune with your beliefs.
On saying this, most Muslims I know are "modern" and "western" in their outlook and do not expect special treatment and will keep their opinions to themselves if they may be considered offensive to others around them. Its hard to judge how much the mad mullahs are the work of a media that is apt to sensationalize everything and how much of a threat they are in real life.
Open your eyes, read and understand more, this is my message to you!
But my point is that there are a lot of very outspoken Muslims who are intolerant - the high profile terrorist incidents of recent years have all been by Muslims who have used Islam to justify their actions; some Islamic preachers talk of turning Europe into a Caliphate and putting to death those who do not convert, they talk about throwing homosexuals off cliffs. Women who want to choose independence are forced into marriages or sometimes murdered. Regardless of what you feel, these people are driven by Islam - or rather an interpretation of it - and their violence and intolerance is a direct result of their religion. And that statement should not be taken as saying all Muslims are intolerant as most are tolerant, or saying Muslims are intolerant but Christians and Jews are not, because they can be as bad if not more so. When religion is driving killings, be it in Palestine, Iraq, Ireland or wherever it would be foolish to leave that factor out as irrelevant.
Part of the problem is down to the media who have created this picture of "Islamic threat" which has led to both the media and the government now adopting a patronising kid gloves approach to all things Islamic, whilst worrying about presenting other religions in a positive light.
Lets take Bush for e.g. how many people he's caused to die and suffer, with all the terrorist for the past 50 yrs combined cannot equate to what this Evil's done! how come we don't speak out against his injustice?
look @ what's happened in Gaza or the genocide in Africa, why are they not the Nazi?
and to be fair, I don't think this wacky 'wilders' has never really read any of the works on Islam,
Islam has changed many many lives for the better, i.e the Great Malcom X etc..
Peace out!
The issue is not whether Wilder's comments are an accurate description of Islam or not. The issue is one of free speech - which is being suffocated by Muslims (and religious groups).
Secondly, while Islam may have changed the lives of some for the better, it has also undermined the quality of life for many others - e.g. gay people, women, free-thinkers and etc in Muslim-majority countries. People like Salman Rushdie (and etc) have essentially been in hiding for most of their lives merely for expressing their views. Now, I don't want to carry out a positive/negative analysis of Islam - that's not necessary for this discussion, although I assume the negatives would far outweigh the positives.
The point is Muslims themselves depend upon free speech and expression to practice their beliefs. Islam, as interpreted by most Muslims, is an extremely homophobic, sexist and divisive religion. So why aren't Muslims being prosecuted for offending other minorities with their outrageous comments?