Free speech: Wilders will not be prosecuted for Fitna movie
Dutch prosecutors said on Monday they will not take action against a politician who angered Muslims worldwide with a film critical of the Koran because he is protected by the right to free speech.
Wilders has spoken about the ruling:
The Freedom Party leader is not surprised by the ruling. “From the outset I knew I kept within the framework of Dutch law. I am pleased the Prosecution Office sees that as well,” Wilders said.
Besides the appeals there is still the matter of the Jordanian Court requesting the extradition and prosecution of Wilders for racism, incitement to hatred and insulting Muslims and Islam.
So he is preparing Fitna II, while Jordan files more complaints against him and the OIC is deeply annoyed by the Dutch court’s decission.
This is a victory just as when Maclean and Mark Steyn were acquitted in Canada.
Free speech is on the ropes, and the prospects are not very good, even if free speech’s supporters have achieved some victories:
Speaking with Mark Steyn at an event in Ottawa, I explained my sacking of Rome theory; that these small battles against free speech in nations such as Britain and Canada were like the battles that led up to the sacking of Rome. Those battles weakened the Empire and eventually led to the fall of Rome itself. Steyn agreed. America, he says, is foolish to think that it can and will prevail as the one outpost of free speech if all the other Western nations fall. Already campus speech codes, hate speech laws, historic revisionism and multiculturalism have left Americans unsure of what is acceptable to say, think or write. (Read it all)
Tags Technorati: Geert Wilders, Holland, Freedom of Speech, Islamism, Maclean, Mark Steyn,
Wilders should not have been prosecuted, and I am pleased with this ruling.
david drake
July 2, 2008 at 10:36 pm
I’m pleased too. 😉
Thanks for your comment, DD
blogfreeworld
July 3, 2008 at 4:58 am
Well now it appears they are bringing this issue back up. Possibly because there is now a U.S. president who doesn’t have a strong stance on radical Islam.
Gorgo
January 24, 2009 at 9:09 pm
It is worse now: UK has not even let him enter its territory and has declared him “persona non grata”:
http://challenges.blogivists.com/2009/02/10/geert-wilders-not-allowed-into-the-uk/
http://windrosehotel.blogspot.com/2009/02/wilders-denied-entrance-to-uk.html
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2009/02/threatening-community-harmony.html
Claudia
February 11, 2009 at 11:32 am