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Geert Wilders Up Close
by Nidra Poller https://www.legal-project.org/355/geert-wilders-up-close Excerpt: If elections were held in the Netherlands today, polls predict that Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom could win more votes than any other formation. Since breaking away from the Liberal Party in 2004, Wilders has rapidly drawn support from all sectors of the population. And yet, the 45 year-old MP--sentenced to death for blasphemy by offended Muslims--has been living under 24/7 protection for the past three years. Far from defending Wilders right to free speech, the Dutch government is allowing a lawsuit against him for hate speech to be heard in the courts. And reputable media of all stripes commonly present Wilders as a "far right extremist xenophobe." His offenses are ticked off—he disseminated "Fitna," a "provocative" film that links terrorism to Islam; he says Islam is not a religion, Muslim immigration should be halted and if Mein Kampf is banned in Holland the Qu'ran should be banned too. Is the "extremist" label useful? Does it help us evaluate Wilders' credibility on the issues he addresses or does it serve to hide the essential truth of a life and death struggle between Islam and the free world? If Wilders is an extremist, the dangers he warns about can be downgraded. If his objections to Islam are motivated by xenophobia, wouldn't it be normal for Muslims to react with indignation? Read the complete original version of this item... receive the latest by email: subscribe to the legal project's free mailing list Note: The content of external articles does not necessarily reflect the views of The Legal Project. |
Geert Wilders Lauds Legal Project "Last June, I was acquitted of all charges by an Amsterdam court. The Middle East Forum's Legal Project ... was always there to help, advise and assist ... The importance of the MEF's Legal Project in reclaiming free expression and political discourse ... cannot be overestimated." — Geert Wilders, September 29, 2011 |