Wilders Acquitted by Dutch Court

[TruthSeeker]

Netherlands Court Acquits Freedom Party Leader Wilders of Defaming Muslims

By Jurjen van de Pol - Jun 23, 2011 6:39 AM ET

Dutch Freedom Party Leader Geert Wilders was acquitted by a court of charges that he made remarks defaming Muslims, ending a three-year prosecution that he described as a bid to restrict his freedom of speech.

Wilders, 47, was charged with inciting hatred and discrimination and insulting Muslims for calling the Koran “fascist” and comparing it to Adolf Hitler’s book “Mein Kampf” in a 2007 Dutch newspaper editorial. A year later, he released his movie “Fitna,” in which he urged Muslims to rip out “hate-preaching” verses from the book.

“You have spoken in a hurtful and also shocking way,” Presiding Judge Marcel van Oosten said in the Amsterdam district court today. Even so, “the court finds, in the broadest context, that you have to be able to propagate the message of such a film.”

The movie led to protests in Islamic-majority countries including Indonesia and Pakistan and prompted Malaysians to call for a boycott of products from the euro area’s second largest exporter. Wilders, whose party backs the minority Dutch coalition government, has been under constant police protection since a Muslim radical murdered filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004.

‘Speak Critically’

“Today is a victory for freedom of speech,” Wilders said on its website today. “The Dutch are still allowed to speak critically about Islam, and resistance against Islamization is not a crime.”

Prosecutors, who were forced to file charges against Wilders by a higher court, also called for the politician to be cleared, saying his criticism was aimed at Islam as a religion and not at Muslims.

The minority government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s Liberals and Christian Democrats relies on Wilders’s Freedom Party to pass legislation. It plans to cut immigration, a key issue for Wilders’s party, which more than doubled its representation in parliament in last year’s elections and is now the third largest group of the 10 in the lower chamber.

“The ruling is clear and in line with the prosecutors’ demands,” Rutte said in a Twitter posting. “It’s great news for Geert Wilders, with whom we’re cooperating well.”

The Netherlands has about 850,000 Muslims, according to Dutch statistics bureau data from 2006. Most are of Turkish or Moroccan origin. The country’s population is 16.7 million.

Netherlands Court Acquits Freedom Party Leader Wilders of Defaming Muslims - Bloomberg

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

I don't think he would have got away with that in other European countries.

I know the leaders of the BNP in Britain, have been convicted of saying similar things. Germany is quite harsh as well.

 

[silko]

bullshit!

he will be sett free because he spreads hatred towards islam but when john galliano says something against jews, OH NOOOOOO! ANTISEMITTE, get him to prison.

just wait and see, john galliano will either be charged prison or money fee!

this is the european freedom of speech!

say whatever the you want against islam but other religions, no no!

 

[peristalsiso]

I grew up in the netherlands, and while i think that this verdict will not help the multicultural society there, it was pointed out to me by other dutch on a dutch forum that we have a very long history here of insulting members and leaders of other (sub-)faiths.
The various catholic subbranches ridiculed each other, centuries before Wilders ever started it against the Muslims.

So while in some muslim countries it is illegal to insult your Prophet, here the tradition and culture-to-protect is the opposite; that of free speech.

Theoretically this opens the way for muslims to insult practices by democrats and catholics, but i hardly think rounds of insults is going to help people get along better.

 

[silko]

I grew up in the netherlands, and while i think that this verdict will not help the multicultural society there, it was pointed out to me by other dutch on a dutch forum that we have a very long history here of insulting members and leaders of other (sub-)faiths.
The various catholic subbranches ridiculed each other, centuries before Wilders ever started it against the Muslims.

So while in some muslim countries it is illegal to insult your Prophet, here the tradition and culture-to-protect is the opposite; that of free speech.

Theoretically this opens the way for muslims to insult practices by democrats and catholics, but i hardly think rounds of insults is going to help people get along better.

well, obviously muslims doesnt share the same hatred as this guy does. i can swear that if someone criticized jews or some other religion they would be charged and hated by the dutchs but whenever someone talks against islam it is freedom of speech! yay, the european freedom of speech. so disgusting to see that.

 

[Ghareeb_Da_Baal]

I wanna practice some free speech on some jewish/israeli issues publicly in the west. I hope I ll get acquitted too!

 

[EjazR]

"speak critically about Islam"

More like spread hatered about Islam. So when will the Dutch draw the line?

Demonising, deligitimising and justifying hate crimes against Muslims is not enough to convict him of a hate crime then I don't know what else is.

Wouldn't be surprised if we see more murders like the one in Germany a few years back where a pregnant pharmacist who was paying her taxes was killed by a German hobo just because she was wearing a head scarf
Murder of Marwa El-Sherbini - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

F....king hypocrites.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

the guy's a bloody twit, him and his supporters......

and meanwhile, John Galliano -- a former designer for Christion Dior -- is on trial in the UK for anti-semitic remarks he made against Jews.


anti-semitic remarks and/or holocaust denial gets you imprisoned in many European countries......anti-Islamic rhetoric (even by politicians and higher ups) goes about unabated and unchecked.


absolute hypocrisy at its finest!!

 

[Vassnti]

"speak critically about Islam"

More like spread hatered about Islam. So when will the Dutch draw the line?

Demonising, deligitimising and justifying hate crimes against Muslims is not enough to convict him of a hate crime then I don't know what else is.

Wouldn't be surprised if we see more murders like the one in Germany a few years back where a pregnant pharmacist who was paying her taxes was killed by a German hobo just because she was wearing a head scarf
Murder of Marwa El-Sherbini - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Or more murders like the one in the Netherlands?

Mohammed Bouyeri murdered Van Gogh as he was cycling to work in the early morning of 2 November 2004, in front of the Amsterdam East borough office (stadsdeelkantoor), on the corner of the Linnaeusstraat and Tweede Oosterparkstraat (52°21′32.22″N 4°55′34.74″E / 52.35895°N 4.9263167°E / 52.35895; 4.9263167).[3] The killer shot van Gogh eight times with an HS 2000 handgun, and Van Gogh died on the spot. He also tried to decapitate him with one knife,[4] and stabbed him in the chest with another. The two knives were left implanted; one attached a five-page note to his body. The note (Text) threatened Western countries, Jews and Ayaan Hirsi Ali (who went into hiding).

We can swap stories about nutters that kill people till the cows come home Europe still has done a better job of welcoming imigrants than a lot of countries.

Wilders is an that plays on fear for cheep political point scoring every country has them the more attention you give them the happier they are.

If Galliano had said what he did in holand he would have gotten off as well diferent countries different laws.

 

[PteX]

well, obviously muslims doesnt share the same hatred as this guy does. i can swear that if someone criticized jews or some other religion they would be charged and hated by the dutchs but whenever someone talks against islam it is freedom of speech! yay, the european freedom of speech. so disgusting to see that.

Two things you need to understand silko.
1. Freedom of speech means you can say "F#ck the Jews and Muslims and Christians" in the street but you can`t say "I love Hitler" in a country that was literally raped by Germans and made it illegal to utter support or even the word "Nazi".
2.Islam is hated throughout Europe and the West because they`ve only seen the terrorist side of Islam and all they know is 9/11 and the London/Spanish/German attacks and so on.

Might be nice if some Muslims stood up and said "Hey, we can be nice, not all of us are psychopaths, wanna hug?". Understand silko?

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

well certain Muslim individuals are also to blame for being reactionaries to these provocations.....such as Theo Van Gough's assailant who actually harmed Muslims' interest by taking law into his own hands.

the well-educated and influential Muslims (in private sector and political positions and of course the 'regulars' as well) should pool their resources and unite and become a formidable 'force'


kind of like what the Jews do....the Jews are strong because they are united, pro-active, and make themselves heard.....Muslims in these foreign countries should do the same. Just holding signs and shouting slogans on one hand, and remaining dumb and deaf on the other hand is a waste.

 

[Juice]

well, obviously muslims doesnt share the same hatred as this guy does. i can swear that if someone criticized jews or some other religion they would be charged and hated by the dutchs but whenever someone talks against islam it is freedom of speech! yay, the european freedom of speech. so disgusting to see that.

Your kidding me right? Have you seen the depiction of Jews in muslim countries? They have some nerve to whine.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Your kidding me right? Have you seen the depiction of Jews in muslim countries? They have some nerve to whine.

religious discrimination in any form or manifest on any part of the globe is WRONG

 

[saleen_s7]

Your kidding me right? Have you seen the depiction of Jews in muslim countries? They have some nerve to whine.

Do you know there is a large number of jews in Iran who lives quite peacefully and comfortably? What do you mean the depiction of jews in Muslim countries? Just like most of the religions I am aware of, in Islam you have to be tolerant of other religions. I am sure you have many examples otherwise but for once awhile try to get out of the cave and see most of this people who wants to attack America is because they feel oppressed.
You don't see a lot of jews denying the holocaust, similarly you won't find a lot of muslims making fun of our own prophets. Just think about what you are doing in the Middle east for ages. How would you feel if any other country was trying to intervene in your internal politics? Even now, there is a growing anti- china sentiment in US because they are lending you money for your own good.