Netherlands MP on trial for discrimination against Muslims - Polidicks

[quote]Geert Wilders, the far-right MP who likens the Koran to Hitler’s Mein Kampf, goes on trial today in a politically charged test of the limits of tolerance and free speech in the Netherlands. Mr Wilders, 46, leader of the Freedom Party, is charged with incitement and discrimination against Muslims over his outspoken comments attacking Islam and for his film, Fitna, which juxtaposed images of 9/11 and beheadings with verses of the Koran. He has called the Koran “a fascist book” and described Islamic culture as retarded. Mr Wilders, who has made no secret of his ambition to become Prime Minister, has called his indictment a political trial but the Amsterdam Court of Appeal decided that it was in the public interest to prosecute him because his comments have been “so insulting to Muslims”. “I am being prosecuted for my political convictions,” Mr Wilders said this week. “The freedom of speech is on the verge of collapsing,” Mr Wilders added. “If a politician is not allowed to criticise an ideology anymore this means that we are lost, and it will lead to the end of our freedom. However, I remain combative: I am convinced that I will be acquitted.” The maverick politician was banned from Britain last February on the grounds that he would “threaten community harmony and therefore public security” but travelled to London in October when the restriction was dropped. He faces up to two years in prison if convicted but his opponents fear that, win or lose, his Freedom Party will receive a boost in next year’s election where it is expected to challenge the ruling Christian Democrats for the largest party vote. In last summer’s European Parliament elections Mr Wilders’s party took 17 per cent of the vote, second to the CDA of Jan Peter Balkenende, the Prime Minister, on 19.9 per cent. Mr Wilders has received numerous death threats for his campaign against the “Islamisation of our societies” views but has built a large following by exploiting a backlash against relaxed Dutch immigration policies, vowing to close Holland’s borders if he comes to power. “My supporters say, ‘At last there is someone who dares to say what millions of people think’. That is what I do.” Today’s hearing in Amsterdam district court is a formal opening session to determine who will be called as witnesses and whether they will all be heard in public. A spokeswoman for the Public Prosecution Office said that the demand for the case came from a variety of individuals and organisations which complained about comments made by Mr Wilders. “The Court of Appeal determined that statements equating Islam to Nazism were a punishable insult to Islamic worshippers and therefore constituted ground for criminal prosecution,” she said. In its judgment ordering the prosecution of Mr Wilders the Court of Appeal stated: “The court considers this so insulting for Muslims that it is in the public interest to prosecute Wilders. By attacking the symbols of the Muslim religion, he also insulted Muslim believers. In a democratic system, hate speech is considered to be so serious that it is in the general interest to draw a clear line.”[/quote] Source: [url]http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6994396.ece[/url]

Heard this yesterday from a dutch friend. Seems he just chose his words wrong, really.

What's annoying is they can slag everybody else off and make death threats etc, but if anything negative is said against them it's all so suddenly bad and wrong and they throw a shitty. This guy is right, freedom of speech is going down the shitter.

What did he expect to happen?

What exactly is he being charged with? All I see is he'll be thrown in prison for "insulting Muslims", and that's a violation of freedom to speech, in my opinion. Does the Netherlands not have freedom of speech?

We are far too accommodating to religion.

[QUOTE=Zeke129;19761474]We are far too accommodating to [B]muslims[/B].[/QUOTE] Fixed

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;19761455]What exactly is he being charged with? All I see is he'll be thrown in prison for "insulting Muslims", and that's a violation of freedom to speech, in my opinion. Does the Netherlands not have freedom of speech?[/QUOTE] Yes, but we don't want a assassination or terrorist attack in the netherlands because of this man. It's just that muslims are pussies and can't handle criticism.

This is him that was complaining that Britain wasn't allowing him 'freedom of speech' or 'freedom of movement' because we wouldn't allow him into the country

The guy is absolutly mental, an attetion whore is all he is. Also these are the kind of people that support him. [img]http://www.geenstijl.nl/archives/images/wildersfans477.jpg[/img] just to give you a mental picture

[QUOTE=BlackBirdNL;19761647]The guy is absolutly mental, an attetion whore is all he is. Also these are the kind of people that support him. [img]http://www.geenstijl.nl/archives/images/wildersfans477.jpg[/img] just to give you a mental picture[/QUOTE] So now we are basing people's mental health on their physical appearance?

[QUOTE=Sparkwire;19761656]So now we are basing people's mental health on their physical appearance?[/QUOTE] Agreed we should do the same about the muslims. [img]http://www.hyscience.com/Muslim%20women%20shopping.jpg[/img] Oh wait...

I think muslims should stop acting like it's their own land otherwise go away.

[QUOTE=evilking1;19761675]Agreed we should do the same about the muslims. [img]http://www.hyscience.com/Muslim%20women%20shopping.jpg[/img] Oh wait...[/QUOTE] Yea, except muslims are actually fucking batshit insane, as seen here: [img]http://culturelegenocide.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/british-muslim-protest4.jpg[/img] [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Racism" - TH89))[/highlight]

[QUOTE=starpluck;19761362]What did he expect to happen?[/QUOTE] A shit load of media attention.

[QUOTE=Moby-;19760882]What's annoying is they can slag everybody else off and make death threats etc, but if anything negative is said against them it's all so suddenly bad and wrong and they throw a shitty. This guy is right, freedom of speech is going down the shitter.[/QUOTE] ummm, who's "they"?

[QUOTE=Sparkwire;19761701]Yea, except muslims are actually fucking batshit insane, as seen here: [/QUOTE] Hahaha. Ahahha. Sweeping generalisations hooooooo.

[QUOTE=Sparkwire;19761701]Yea, except muslims are actually fucking batshit insane, as seen here: [img]http://culturelegenocide.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/british-muslim-protest4.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] Religion of peace at it's finest

If he said this about Christianity, everyone wouldnt give a shit. Say it about Islam, everyone suddenly cares.

[QUOTE=Sparkwire;19761701]Yea, except muslims are actually fucking batshit insane, as seen here: [IMG]http://culturelegenocide.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/british-muslim-protest4.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] Yet everyones like "Oh yeah , that's cool with us" I'm going to sound racist now , but that is just the wrong way to be acting , religious or not religious.

I think its just as much about the fact that he's a crazy facist more than the whole 'which religion he happened to insult'.

[QUOTE=Deadly-Virus;19762559]If he said this about Christianity, everyone wouldnt give a shit. Say it about Islam, everyone suddenly cares.[/QUOTE] We have to be very very very sensitive to the feelings of Muslims everywhere. They might go cry if we're not nice. :frown:

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;19762810]We have to be very very very sensitive to the feelings of Muslims everywhere. They might go cry if we're not nice. :frown:[/QUOTE] No not cry, blow people up.

[QUOTE=Moby-;19763017]No not cry, blow people up.[/QUOTE] That's how Muslims cry :v:

Geert Wilders is a doucebag anyways. There are other ways to combat religious extremism without stirring up populist hatred.

[QUOTE=MercZ;19764968]Geert Wilders is a doucebag anyways. There are other ways to combat religious extremism without stirring up populist hatred.[/QUOTE] It's not as though they don't do the same. Take that sod Anjem Choudury for example, he was just stirring hatred. Related news article: [url]http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/janetdaley/100021391/islam4uk-makes-its-demands/[/url]

You people have no idea what you are talking about, you are only hearing half of the things he is saying. He tried to make people, Muslims in particular, pay extra taxes for wearing a head rags. Also those people were interviewed and didn't even know what they were there for. The majority of the people that vote for him live outside Amsterdam and almost if not all of the Muslims live in Amsterdam. The voters have no idea what else he has in his policy. Which is very little by the way. And every statement he makes is in conflict with the Constitution. He's no politician just a person "telling it the way it is" whilst leaving out all the important facts. He's a joke in parliament and to everyone with have a brain and the will to listen.

Well yea, he's stirring up populist hatred. I suppose he's just playing to people's fears of the immigrants and how they look different, and people vote for him thinking they're making a statement but in the end they're only benefiting him politically.

[QUOTE=MercZ;19770740]Well yea, he's stirring up populist hatred. I suppose he's just playing to people's fears of the immigrants and how they look different, and people vote for him thinking they're making a statement but in the end they're only benefiting him politically.[/QUOTE] No that's not it, we are dealing with a certain part of the Muslim community that is a nuisance because they have nowhere to go. They are mainly just spending the day loitering and vandalising stuff. This is mainly due to a lack of interest on the parents half and has nothing to do with current immigration regulation. I do think that we are way too soft on immigration compared to the majority of the EU countries but Wilders claims are absurd.

the christians should start another crusade that'll show those muslims who's boss