For Geert Wilders, Law Finally Triumphs Over Politics in the United Kingdom

by Aaron Eitan Meyer  •  Oct 13, 2009 at 10:56 pm

https://www.legal-project.org/blog/2009/10/for-geert-wilders-law-finally-triumphs-over

On October 13th, the United Kingdom's Asylum and Immigration Tribunal issued a ruling overturning an earlier decision by the Home Office to refuse entry to Dutch member of parliament Geert Wilders, on the absurd grounds that his presence in the UK might represent a "threat to public order and public harmony."

Tribunal Judge CMG Ockleton was clear in his reasoning, as The Guardian reported,

"Substantial evidence of actual harm would be needed before it would be proper for a government to prevent the expression and discussion of matters that might form the opinions of legislators, policy makers and voters," he said.

However, it appears that the Home Office is insistent upon justifying its earlier decision. As reported by BBC News, the Home Office expressed "disappointment" with the decision, stating that "The decision to refuse Wilders admission was taken on the basis that his presence could have inflamed tensions between our communities and have led to inter-faith violence. We still maintain this view."

In analyzing the Home Office's statement, one is struck by the convoluted logic needed to rationalize its conclusion. The basis for the Home Office's view is that Wilders' presence in the UK "could have inflamed tensions," and that these hypothetical tensions then in turn could "have led to inter-faith violence." Clearly, this chain of conjecture fails utterly to constitute "substantial evidence of actual harm."

Thankfully, the fact that the Home Office is attempting to present politics as logic is made abundantly clearer by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal's sound legal reasoning. Wilders responded to the news of his victory by stating "I will definitely visit the UK soon now." When that happens, instead of caving to Islamist pressure, the UK Parliament will finally be able to come to its own informed conclusions on Wilders' film Fitna, in accordance with fundamental democratic principles.

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