Green Energy
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Imagine if a leader within the tea party movement were able to persuade its members to establish a third political party. Imagine he succeeded—overwhelmingly—and that as their leader he stood a real chance of winning the presidency.
Then imagine that in anticipation of his electoral victory, the Democrats and Republicans quickly modified an existing antidiscrimination law so that he could be convicted for statements he made on the campaign trail.
All of this seems impossible in a 21st-century liberal democracy. But it is exactly what is happening in Holland to Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders.The implications of this trial are enormous.
In the short term, it could bring the simmering tensions between Holland's approximately one million Muslims and the 1.4 million voters who elected Mr. Wilders to a boil.
The Netherlands has seen its share of Islamist violence before and could well see violent confrontations again.
On a more fundamental level, this trial—even if Mr. Wilders wins—could silence the brave critics of radical Islam. The West is in a war of ideas against political Islam. If free speech is not protected in Europe, we're already losing.
Read the full story here.
More -
Geert Wilders vs the Dutch Inquisition.
Find Wilders not guilty of insulting groups, prosecutors tell court.
Anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders should be found not guilty of insulting Muslims and non-western immigrants as a group, the public prosecution department said at the MP’s trial on Tuesday.By likening the Koran to Hitler’s Mein Kampf, Wilders was focusing on Islam and the Koran, rather than Muslims, even if the statement can be considered upsetting, the public prosecutors said during court hearings in Amsterdam.
In addition, there can only be talk of collective insult when a statement damages the entire group, the prosecutors said.AMSTERDAM — Prosecutors say Dutch politician Geert Wilders cannot defend himself on hate speech charges by arguing that remarks he has made critical of Islam are true.
They say there is no general agreement about the nature of Islam and his statements are only his opinion….Prosecutor Birgit van Roessel said at the start of her closing arguments Tuesday that the right to freedom of speech has limits, including when it infringes too far on the right of freedom of religion….
"There are all kinds of fights over what is a religion and what isn't," said Charles Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center. "Islam is not one of them."
Read the full story here.
- Geert Wilders Acquitted
Another fortunate turn of events: the Dutch court has acquitted Geert Wilders of any hate speech charges: A Dutch court on Thursday acquitted populist politician Geert Wilders of charges of inciting hatred against Muslims, in a case that tested freedom...
- Muslim Public Affairs Council Of The Uk Is A Bit Perturbed At Geert Wilders Ascendency
Ha! Dutch Disgrace, Geert Wilders Aims for Power The extreme right-wing, anti-Muslim Dutch party, Party for Freedom, made shocking gains in this week’s Holland general elections. This fascist party, headed by the notorious Geert Wilders, has openly...
- A Dutch Court Is Forced To Compare Hitler's 'mein Kampf' And The Quran
Good news, from the first sentence on. From the Wall St. Jounral: What started as a trial against Geert Wilders for alleged Islamophobia has nearly turned into its opposite: a historical case about the message of the Quran. The Amsterdam court trying...
- Support Geert Wilders
GEERT WILDERS' trial is two weeks away (it is scheduled to take place January 20, 2010). Geert is on trial in Amsterdam for "inciting hatred against Islam." This is our final opportunity to give him our support. (For more information about Geert's...
- Saudi Ambassador: Wilders Must Apologize
Well, that was to be expected, I guess... According to the Saudi newspaper Al-Watan, the Saudi ambassador to The Netherlands has demanded an apology from Wilders for the latters statements about the Quran and Mohammed.Saudi ambassador Waleed al-Khareejy...
Green Energy
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali On The Trial Of Geert Wilders
Imagine if a leader within the tea party movement were able to persuade its members to establish a third political party. Imagine he succeeded—overwhelmingly—and that as their leader he stood a real chance of winning the presidency.
Then imagine that in anticipation of his electoral victory, the Democrats and Republicans quickly modified an existing antidiscrimination law so that he could be convicted for statements he made on the campaign trail.
All of this seems impossible in a 21st-century liberal democracy. But it is exactly what is happening in Holland to Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders.The implications of this trial are enormous.
In the short term, it could bring the simmering tensions between Holland's approximately one million Muslims and the 1.4 million voters who elected Mr. Wilders to a boil.
The Netherlands has seen its share of Islamist violence before and could well see violent confrontations again.
On a more fundamental level, this trial—even if Mr. Wilders wins—could silence the brave critics of radical Islam. The West is in a war of ideas against political Islam. If free speech is not protected in Europe, we're already losing.
Read the full story here.
More -
Geert Wilders vs the Dutch Inquisition.
Find Wilders not guilty of insulting groups, prosecutors tell court.
Anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders should be found not guilty of insulting Muslims and non-western immigrants as a group, the public prosecution department said at the MP’s trial on Tuesday.By likening the Koran to Hitler’s Mein Kampf, Wilders was focusing on Islam and the Koran, rather than Muslims, even if the statement can be considered upsetting, the public prosecutors said during court hearings in Amsterdam.
In addition, there can only be talk of collective insult when a statement damages the entire group, the prosecutors said.AMSTERDAM — Prosecutors say Dutch politician Geert Wilders cannot defend himself on hate speech charges by arguing that remarks he has made critical of Islam are true.
They say there is no general agreement about the nature of Islam and his statements are only his opinion….Prosecutor Birgit van Roessel said at the start of her closing arguments Tuesday that the right to freedom of speech has limits, including when it infringes too far on the right of freedom of religion….
"There are all kinds of fights over what is a religion and what isn't," said Charles Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center. "Islam is not one of them."
Read the full story here.
- Geert Wilders Acquitted
Another fortunate turn of events: the Dutch court has acquitted Geert Wilders of any hate speech charges: A Dutch court on Thursday acquitted populist politician Geert Wilders of charges of inciting hatred against Muslims, in a case that tested freedom...
- Muslim Public Affairs Council Of The Uk Is A Bit Perturbed At Geert Wilders Ascendency
Ha! Dutch Disgrace, Geert Wilders Aims for Power The extreme right-wing, anti-Muslim Dutch party, Party for Freedom, made shocking gains in this week’s Holland general elections. This fascist party, headed by the notorious Geert Wilders, has openly...
- A Dutch Court Is Forced To Compare Hitler's 'mein Kampf' And The Quran
Good news, from the first sentence on. From the Wall St. Jounral: What started as a trial against Geert Wilders for alleged Islamophobia has nearly turned into its opposite: a historical case about the message of the Quran. The Amsterdam court trying...
- Support Geert Wilders
GEERT WILDERS' trial is two weeks away (it is scheduled to take place January 20, 2010). Geert is on trial in Amsterdam for "inciting hatred against Islam." This is our final opportunity to give him our support. (For more information about Geert's...
- Saudi Ambassador: Wilders Must Apologize
Well, that was to be expected, I guess... According to the Saudi newspaper Al-Watan, the Saudi ambassador to The Netherlands has demanded an apology from Wilders for the latters statements about the Quran and Mohammed.Saudi ambassador Waleed al-Khareejy...