The bizarre trial of Dutch political leader Geert Wilders, for having allegedly insulted Islam and incited hatred against Muslims, may have major long term repercussions on Europe.
Voted politician of the year in Holland in 2007, the highly charismatic Wilders has had a meteoric public career. The Freedom Party which he leads gained 24 seats in the recent elections, making it the third largest parliamentary party. With the new government now dependent on its votes to retain office, he has considerable influence in the formulation of policy.
Wilders represents the antithesis of political correctness. He courageously condemns the prevailing craven appeasement of Europeans to the intransigence and threats of violence emanating from Islamic fundamentalists. He considers the widespread migration of Muslims to European countries as an Islamic fundamentalist Trojan horse, and predicts that if the jihadists are not resisted, "Eurabia will be just a matter of time."
Last week in a speech in Berlin, Wilders stated:
"They [the left] want us to feel so ashamed about our own identity that we refuse to fight for it... The same leftists who turned a blind eye to communism then, turn a blind eye to Islam today... we even hear a repetition of the old moral equivalence mantra. They used to say that Western "imperialism" was as bad as Soviet imperialism. They are now saying that Western "imperialism" is as bad as Islamic imperialism... Are we about to repeat the fatal mistake of the Weimar Republic? Are we succumbing to Islam because our commitment to freedom is already dead? No it will not happen."
Although accused of being a fascist, Wilders adamantly opposed and explicitly condemned right-wing extremists like Le Pen and Heider. "We will never join up with fascists." he repeatedly says.
He is also a passionate admirer and supporter of Israel, where he lived for two years and which he has visited over 40 times, frequently describing the Jewish state as "the West's first line of defense."
The threats and rewards offered by Islamic extremists for his murder are taken seriously, especially after the murder of media personality Theo Van Gogh by a Dutch Moroccan Islamic fanatic. Wilders has been under 24-hour police protection during the past six years.
"I am on trial, but on trial with me is the freedom of expression of many Dutch citizens."
The trial he faces will be a watershed for European democracy. He is being accused of inciting hatred because of the documentary film (Fitna) he produced which graphically links Islam to the violence prevailing in many Muslim societies. It highlights practices such as the stoning of adulterous women, beheadings, execution of apostates, honor killings, hanging of homosexuals, amputation of limbs for petty crimes, forced child marriages, female circumcision and other odious practices which to this day are prevalent in many Islamic countries.
Wilders went overboard by calling for the banning of the Koran, which he compares to Mein Kampf, citing numerous passages from texts which call for violence and the murder of infidels. Yet, if one examines the sacred texts of other major religions, one will also find violent passages. It all comes down to a question of interpretation, and the problem we face today is that it is Islamic extremists who set the tone for many Muslims. Thus, calling for banning the Koran, the holy book for one and a half billion of Muslims throughout the world, is counter-productive. And aside from being anti-democratic, it further undermines the already pitifully weak position of moderate Muslims.
However, it is surely Wilders' democratic right to express such views without facing criminal prosecution. Particularly so, when he condemns Islam as an extremist ideology but urges his followers to eschew violence against individual Muslims.
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More importantly, his demand that Muslims in our society be integrated and that those imams and their followers who incite to violence be vigorously prosecuted and deported is a crucial prerequisite to any form of accommodation with Islamic migrants.
When his trial resumed last week, Wilders was entirely justified in saying "I am on trial, but on trial with me is the freedom of expression of many Dutch citizens."
In truth, this trial exemplifies cowardly European appeasement and capitulation to Muslims threats of violence and intimidation against any critics.
This trial exemplifies cowardly European appeasement and capitulation to Muslims threats of violence and intimidation against any critics.
It should perhaps encourage us to focus on the prevailing death threats and constant intimidation and violence perpetrated by extremist Muslims groups against all critics of Islam. For example Salmon Rushdie in 1989, or the Danish cartoons of the prophet Mohammed, and climaxing with the recent shocking case of American Molly Norris who was forced to go into hiding and adopt a new identity to protect herself against death threats from a fatwa issued after she had drawn a cartoon in a regional newspaper deemed disrespectful of Islam.
The Wilders trial should also be viewed in the context of the campaign by the 57 member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to criminalize all criticism of Islam. It blends with President Obama's undertaking to actively combat "negative stereotyping of Islam" and the subsequent US co-sponsorship of a UN resolution originating from the discredited UN Human Rights Council calling on all states to criminalize "negative stereotyping of religions and racial groups." All parties realize that in practice, this will be primarily directed towards muzzling critics of Islamic practices and behavior.
Many of the constituents of the OIC brazenly deny freedom of expression and worship to Christians and Jews and sustain a culture in which the media and religious environment is saturated with hatred of other religions. For such a group to demand criminalization of all forms of criticism of Islam is surely the height of hypocrisy. The continuous claims by Muslims that they are subject to Islamophobia should also be viewed in the context of the truly Nazi like stereotyping of Jews in many Islamic communities.
The Wilders trial is clearly an attempt by the Dutch establishment to muzzle criticism and exposure of extremist Muslims excesses. It was imposed on a reluctant public prosecutor by the former Minister of Justice for clearly political purposes and should now be adjourned or canceled.
But if it proceeds, the outcome of this trial has implications for us all. If a leading Dutch politician can be criminalized for criticizing Islam in a society in which calls for "death to the Jews" are regular occurrences and rarely prosecuted, it will be a message to the West that freedom of expression must be curtailed when it applies to Muslims. It will also set a precedent for exploiting the judiciary to impose political views that could ultimately lead to Stalinist type show trials becoming the order of the day.
It will mean that offensive language can be directed towards everyone except Muslims and this will be used as a vehicle to curtail freedom of expression and ultimately destroy our democratic values. It will also provide jihadists throughout the world with cause for celebrating the erosion of the will of democracies to stand up and resist intimidation and embolden them to intensify their violence.
This column was originally published in the Jerusalem Post
(46) marianne youdowitch, August 4, 2012 8:43 PM
geert widers is the savior of europe, I wish that the people would see that before its too late
(45) david, August 1, 2011 8:46 PM
What Constitutes A Crime?
Ok, I am a Christian, and live in the West. We have always believed that a crime is outward, and one is even innocent until proven guilty by a court of law (for the actual action of a crime). Since when is it a crime to think? Or have a thought that is anti-establishment, or whatever? We would all be found guilty, and worthy of death. We all have evil thoughts continually. Since when is it a crime to speak? We believe in freedom of speech, for everyone, even our enemies. We cease to believe in freedom of speech when we deny that right to our enemies. While I respect every nation on earth, and their right to exist, I think I have the right to think, and speak out if I see a nation committing atrocities, or more locally, a group carrying out injustices. When a religious faction or group gets ahold of a whole governmental system, they can use this to further their own agenda (religion) to the extinction of all others, and end the natural rights that most nations consider inaliable rights given by G-D to all of mankind. "That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety." This is not Christian ideology, and I purposefully picked a quote that is not made by a Christian. Many people include in this the right to think, and the right to speak, and don't consider either thinking or speaking a crime, unless they carry that to the next level, and actually ACT out a crime, such as murder or something like that. This makes the Geert Wilders trial nothing more than a dog and pony show, designed to scare and intimidate people--nothing more.
(44) Katie, December 28, 2010 9:17 AM
freedom of speech
this world has become that if a person says something others do not like, people get all bent out of shape! inform yourselves people. history clearly shows that jews have been constantly persecuted. also, I will repeat the words I answered this year towards the end of my second seder: (we had guests claiming to be proud to be liberals and praising Obama; they have every right to) there is nothing wrong with muslims, except that I do not see any other religion in which people are strapping themselves with explosives and KILLING PEOPLE!!!!. lastly, I am a NYC september 11th survivor- I was there and saw the second plane hit, and left immediately. I was blessed and lucky; and I will never, ever forget it.
(43) jgarbuz, October 23, 2010 6:50 PM
God Bless the Great Geert Wilders
A voice in the wilderness which if not heeded will be to our peril as in the past.
(42) Meir Groen, October 17, 2010 3:25 PM
compared to the Jews
the difference : contribution of the Jews to culture , science etc. The Moslims in general contibute to crime (exceot for the know terrorism) and a few soccerplayers. They dont "recognize the Democratic system of the West. This in sharp contrast to The basic rule of the Jew . The law of the state is our law. Thats a big difference and make me question the real reason of comparision with The Jews. Meir Groen, Amsterdam
(41) TMay, October 17, 2010 9:14 AM
Geert won
Geert appears to be winning. The prosecution in trying to withdraw said that there was an exception to the rules on not being able to speak about Islam because he was a legislator and therefore "he" was allowed to talk about things affecting society. See Diana West's article at Townhall called Will Islam Conquer the Netherlands? See the Fox news article entitled Prosecutors Ask to Drop Anti-Islam Charges Against Dutch Lawmaker Geert Wilders (W). It is stated that they "now say that W”.. “has some leeway as a lawmaker to make statements about social problems, Reuters reported." What about the rest of us regarding freedom of speech? D West said that the law was set up in order to put him away. So IMHO it is not just an Islam problem but a Leftist problem. "Writing in W s defense in the WSJ, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, .. reported that Dutch multiculturalist parliamentarians, "spooked" by W s rising political star, modified the Dutch penal code in the fall of 2009 to fit W s alleged crimes. They crafted”.."the national version of what OIC diplomats peddle at the U.N. and E.U." "The OIC is" .."guided by policy set by".."57 Islamic countries in accordance with Islamic law. Such law” is “shaped by the Sharia-based Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam" ("CD"). "The OIC relies on the CD” ... regarding issues which ("include free speech rights as restricted by Sharia.) The organization s 57 foreign ministers meet annually,” “to "consider" "implementation" of OIC policy. Topping the OIC wish list is its effort to criminalize criticism of Islam in the non-Muslim world. And this is what makes the W s case so significant.””It would be something”..”if a Western government were itself to convict a democratically elected leader for violating the Sharia ban on criticizing Islam.” “that's conquest. In this context, W s trial was never a straight judicial process; it was a political battle from the start,” “dovetailing with the OICs "10 year Plan," which includes a global campaign.."
(40) Steve Skeete, October 17, 2010 6:11 AM
Appeasement, again!
Europeans have this curious tendency to give in first then fight back years later when all is almost or already lost. It happened with communism, then with Hitler and now its happening again. It gives credence to the saying that "what we learn most from history is that we learn nothing from history". How long will it take before Europeans realize that Islam is a friend to no one particularly so called "moderate" moslems. Europeans are bending over backwards to accommodate and appease Islam, and doing it at their own peril.
(39) susannah, October 16, 2010 7:46 AM
two way respect
I agree with the writer who wrote that Muslims need to know that respect is a two way thing. They seem to be so incredibly over sensitive to any criticism over their religion but have no tolerance for anyone and anything that is different to what they believe is the 'truth' - it really is political correctness gone mad - if any of us - Christian Jewish or other, went to their country to live or work, for a start if we weren't completely covered with clothing and robes and attempted to do things our way - religion, our own mores and practices our lives would be in danger. And yet these people come to live in our communities and then try to tell us how to run our own country. And if we don't take notice or even dare to criticise their customs which deny the most basic of human rights, especially for women and girls, we are anti muslim and thus should have a fatwa issued against us. And why do they come to the wicked west? Do they actually find that democracy and human rights have something going for them that do not exist in their countries of origin? Our grandparents and parents gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy - we must not give in to political correctness and be taken by stealth until one day we wake up and it's too late. I am not advocating violence, but we need to talk with the moderate muslims and work together to eradicate fanaticism in our communities before it's too late for all of us. Please consider, and make a stand. Tolerance and respect is truly a two way street as the previous writer has stated, and any moderate person knows that. We cannot allow our freedoms to be lost to fanatics of any religion (and there have been many in christianity as well). Shalom
(38) A.D., October 15, 2010 8:00 PM
Do something!
What kind of democracy is this? Who is asking people for their opinion and bringing the votes to the table? Is anyone learning anything from past (false ) trials? Anyway, just would like to find out if there are any petitions or a way to stop the pathetic trials like the one in case of Geert? Can Europe really judge its own children who are wishing her only good and protecting her against destructive cultures? I don't do politics, but there must be a way for people to act to protect themselves from false trials, decisions and governments. I start with prayer that every man may stand for truth and not be afraid to fight for it!
(37) shira, October 15, 2010 2:40 PM
Disagree
I've read many articles on Geert Wilders. He is a bigot and his condemnation is not based on political correctness. If Geert Wilders and the party he founded had said the same thing about Jews, would you support him?
(36) Rose, October 14, 2010 1:10 PM
The problem with PC that it is only applied on the civilized world and most of the beneficiaries come from very narrow-minded and oppressive cultures and backgrounds such as Muslims. Muslims cry for their human rights in the Western World yet draw a blind eye to the atrocities committed in their lands towards minorities. Minorities are constantly abused and tortured in the Islamic world and their numbers are dwindling although they're natives to these lands: the Southern Sudanese, The Copts, the Darfurians and the Ethiopian Jews. WHO IS DEMANDING FROM MUSLIMS PC rubbish. No one dares to go near the Sudanese leader to bring him to law and demand justice from him. Nobel Peace prize has become a joke. Muslims are reaping the fruits of the Holocaust yet when it suits them they deny it ever happened. I think any society that opens its doors to muslims live to regret it, muslim immigrants tarnish the reputation of all immigratnts. Islam teaches muslims that the whole earth is theirs for the taking, so don't expect any gratitude from muslim guests, they multiply rapidly and then they take over such as Palestine, Turkey and Bosnia. These regions did not belong to muslims.
(35) Shashi Ishai, October 14, 2010 5:40 AM
The writing is on the wall.....
The scenario sounds like a futuristic novel. It is so frightening, and like the Nazi rise to power, seemed to be written off as a band of extremists who would never rise to power. This courageous man seems like a Biblical icon, whose mission in life is to save the world from Goliath.
(34) Richard Serai, October 13, 2010 10:35 PM
Political Correctness
This is 'political correctness' gone mad. All Faiths, institutions, politics, paradigms, 'facts', societal mores, cultures, laws and governance must be open to scrutiny and criticism (in the true sense). Nothing, and no-one, should be immune from examination. From what I can see, Wilders doesn't preach hate (unlike most of his critics) but caution and warning. Go back a few years: had current 'political correctness' been in place in the 1930's Winston Churchill, Deitrich Bonhoffer, and many other modern-day 'prophets', would have been hauled before the courts for their warnings and denunciations of Nazism - which was a 'Faith' with a political agenda to its adherents. Be careful Nederlands and Europe, you're on that slippery slope again.
(33) Gary Katz, October 13, 2010 5:42 PM
Tit for tat
What many Muslims should learn is respect is a two-way street. Don't tolerate anti-Semitic cartoons, articles, television shows and imams, then complain about Danish cartoons. Don't burn prayer books and vandalize synagogues, then riot over rumors of a Koran being burned by some fringe Christian. Don't shrug your shoulders at thousands of Shiites and Sunnis killing each other and bombing mosques, then riot over 9 Turks killed by Israelis. Don't protest the violations of Palestinians' rights, while you have less freedom in your own Muslim country. The day you protest against signs calling for death to the Jews is the day you earn the right to complain about Geert Wilders.
(32) Desmond, October 13, 2010 2:58 PM
Give the man a medal
He who speaks the truth today is a criminal. The Bible predicted that a day would come when good would be called evil, and evil called good. That day has come. The world is mad. But it will be madder when it realizes that Wilders was right. When muslims DAILY state they want to take over the world and make is Dhimmis, you'd better listen!
(31) Rina chiyya, October 13, 2010 1:30 PM
We need more like him
He calls a spade a spade and is so brave. I was in the Netherlands when his party won. We stayed up several nights to watch what was going on. I was born and raised in the Netherlands and it is high time the government took a turned to the right. You do have freedom of speech but there is a double standard. A Muslim can call us everything under the sun ans spew hatred . He or she can say everything but not a none Muslim person. G-d bless you and keep you save Geert. Hartelijk dank voor wat je allemaal doet. (Thanks for standing up and what you do) Shalom
(30) Sheldon Tupperman, October 13, 2010 10:04 AM
Name ONE single democratic Muslim country!
To all detractors of Israel and the Jewish people: can you name ONE single Muslim country that is democratically ruled, where women have the same rights as men, and don't risk death by stoning for "adultery", where gays are not hanged or beheaded and where Jews, Christians and other minorities are not second or third rate citizens and are not persecuted for their beliefs, if any of you can name ONE single Muslim democracy, I am willing to put on a dunce cap and walk all over any city with a big Muslim population carrying a text saying "I AM A DUNCE, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT MUSLIM COUNTRY X IS A FULL DEMOCRACY COMPARABLE TO ANY WESTERN ONE WITH NO HONOR KILLINGS, NO HANGINGS, NO BEHEADINGS, NO STONINGS AND NO MEDDLING IN PEOPLE'S PRIVATE LIVES BY THE STATE AND WITH FULL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR ALL!" I am certain that such a Muslim state does NOT exist anywhere in this planet!
(29) Anonymous, October 13, 2010 5:39 AM
Let him who desires peace first prepare for war ! Complacent, lethargic, caterpillar consumers, taking our freedoms for granted....... this too we will lose if we do not stand up and defend ! Let them enjoy all thier barbaric practices, within the confines of their own borders, in the lands that we occupy, they must conform to our societal norms or be deprted back to their killing fields, where they in all fairness should be able to torment, rape, pillage, enrobe themselves from head to toe and indulge in whatever bizare practices that appeal to their culture.
(28) David R., October 13, 2010 4:36 AM
What's the Deal?
Suffice it to say that I am all for supporting anyone's ability to practice any or no religion AS LONG AS they are willing to give the same right to me. If I can't criticize their faith, then mine is off limits for criticism, too. And if their religion glorifies the persecution of mine, then I should believe Wilders is truly heroic. By the way, I do.
(27) Bobbie from La Louisiane, October 13, 2010 2:09 AM
Double Standard
As soon as Jews, Christians and Buddhists can worship openly without fearing for their lives in Muslim countries we should have this trial; until then it should be post-poned! Geert Wilders is a voice of sanity in a world gone mad over political correctness.
(26) Eliyahu ben Avraham, October 13, 2010 1:36 AM
Wilders is a hero of our times. One who is bold enough to call a spade. Politicians in every country should grow a pair and follow his lead.
(25) Anonymous, October 13, 2010 12:46 AM
Freedom to speak the truth
Freedom to speak what the fact of this subject should not be put to trial. Historical documentation of these facts are in many pages of last 15 years events :which graphically links Islam to the violence prevailing in many Muslim societies. It highlights practices such as the stoning of adulterous women, beheadings, execution of apostates, honor killings, hanging of homosexuals, amputation of limbs for petty crimes, forced child marriages, female circumcision and other odious practices which to this day are prevalent in many Islamic countries.
(24) Anonymous, October 12, 2010 10:59 PM
Leibler's article needs widespread placement in US press
Radical islamism is the new societal cancer of the globe. It must be met with organized determined resistance. Its violence must be stopped by any swift, efficient means.
(23) Anonymous, October 12, 2010 10:51 PM
Different kind of appeasement, maybe?
Hmmm, maybe the appeasement here runs a little different from what the author thinks. Couldn't it just be that rather than "an attempt by the Dutch establishment to muzzle criticism and" exposure of extremist Muslims excesses," it's a slightly less craven gesture to mollify Muslim radicals with a trial the government knows it cannot win? At the same time, couldn't it also be in the same vein a warning to Wilders to tone it down a bit? In any event, by my sense of Jewish values his real sin was to propose banning the Quran. I see that as worse than a documentary film which may well tar far too many quiet and moderate Muslims with a far too broad brush of extremism.
(22) craig, October 12, 2010 10:15 PM
Sura72:15 “The disbelievers are the firewood of hell.”
the author says: "Yet, if one examines the sacred texts of other major religions, one will also find violent passages" sorry- this is not true. I wonder why the author felt the need to ruin his article by pandering to the rhetoric of supposed "fairness" in reporting. Applying moral equivalence between the Koran and the bible is absurd. Is he brainwashed too?
(21) yehudit spero, October 12, 2010 10:15 PM
amazing brave fight against Islamic pressure
How does one contact Geert? He must know he has admirers.
(20) Anonymous, October 12, 2010 10:13 PM
Gert Wilders: Europe's Canary in a Coal Mine
If Wilders is convicted of "hate speech" for being a faithful sentinel of approaching danger, then Europe's fate is effectively sealed, and "Eurabia" will be a reality. The fact that the enemy possesses riches that we want is immaterial -- we can do without Muslim oil, as we should do without Islamic immigrants, who are true to nothing but their interpretation of the Q'uran/Koran. Europe must take action before action takes Europe. Reward the watchtower guard -- do not punish him for having a clearer view than those who cannot see what he does and reports it honestly.
(19) Anonymous, October 12, 2010 10:00 PM
Gert Wilders is a Mensch!
Gert Wilders is doing precisely what Jewish community leaders should have been doing during the rise of the Third Reich. Have no lessons been learned from that which spawned the Holocaust? I am not Jewish, but Christian. It is so very plain to me what the Islamicist plan of attack is, that I am dumbfounded at the blindness and cowardice of my fellow Westerners. Good God -- our civilization and very EXISTENCE is ultimately at stake. Sharia is staring us in the face with unblinking eyes, and licking its bloodthirsty lips. De-fang this monstrous hydra threat before it becomes undefeatable! As the "Greens" say, "think globally, act locally".
(18) R. Davida Schechter, October 12, 2010 8:39 PM
Wilders should be exonerated for trying to halt the spread of hatred and extremism threatening the lives and lifestyles of all decent people worldwide. While some might object to his banning the Koran, it's really his way of "banning" a faction that's trying to "ban, exterminate, destroy, condemn, slander" all decent people of all faiths, everywhere. We, as civilized people, have always been in favor of assimilating what works for the betterment of society and ridding ourselves of what doesn't. Can we clone this courageous visionary?
(17) bernie rosenberg, October 12, 2010 7:40 PM
HE'S MY HERO! ! !
(16) mike, October 12, 2010 7:11 PM
here here
I agree with Mr.Wilders wholeheartedly.Here is another example of political correctness going amuk.It seems to me that western society is putting their heads in the sand hoping that this issue will disappear.Extremist islamist are a cancer that must be destroyed.Where are the so called moderate islamist?I think you would have better luck finding a virgin in a maturity ward than you would finding a moderate islamist.
(15) Tony, October 12, 2010 7:01 PM
Support for Wilders
I totally agree about the threat of Islam to Europe. Time to stop allowing creeping Islamisation. Freedom of speech is at stake if we cannot speak about Islamic practices and beliefs in a critical way. Islamic radicals call for the end of Israel and practice vicious persecution of Christians in the Islamic world. The latter goes virtually unreported in the BBC and media. I agree with Wilders about the craven leftists who turned a blind eye to the repressions of Communism and now appease Islam. They will be amongst the first to face the chop in an Islamic dominated society.
(14) Martha Barker, October 12, 2010 6:40 PM
I support Geert Wilders
Geert, you are a brave man who is not afraid to speak out about his point of view. Thank you for all you do.
(13) Anonymous, October 12, 2010 6:24 PM
Can this be put on Facebook? Geert Wilders is a very courageous man...we need a lot more like him. Look at France and Belgium and England and Spain...terrorism, danger, and anti-Semitism abound.
(12) daniel belinfante, October 12, 2010 6:00 PM
Wilders=force for freedom, does NOT just want to ban koran
It is a fallacy that Wilders wants to ban the koran. He compared the koran to Mein Kampf, which is banned in Holland, and said that if Mein Kampf was banned, then so should the koran. He is all FOR freedom of speech, including that of hateful religious texts.
(11) Anonymous, October 12, 2010 5:14 PM
The world needs to listen to Geert Wilder. He's a courageous man who 's putting his life in the front row, in order for people to know the truth. We need more people like him, who just say it the way it is. I salute you Mr Wilder, and we support your principle. the Dutch people, the European nation, and the whole world should listen, and believe, for what his message contains the truth, that most people wants to ignore.
(10) Anonymous, October 12, 2010 5:04 PM
Wilders trial
Thank you for the excellent article on the Wilders trial. He is standing for all of us who love freedom, and we are praying for him.
(9) Marvin Karp, October 12, 2010 5:03 PM
The upcoming trial of Geert Wilders will definitely be one of seminal importance, not only for Europe, but for western societies in general. On the one hand, we have a Europe that seems frozen by self-criticism and self-doubt over wrongful behavior and collateral damage of past imperialism and militarism, while seeming to fail in recasting the rich past positives into a new paradigm. The Left appears to be so iconoclastic as to to wish to leave no trace of the past at all. We all know that the cult of the Right's hyper-nationalism is deadly, but to passively leave all the doors open to the hungry wolf is stupid, because, on the other hand there are testosterone- and anger-driven caliphdom-seekers, who are not only out to terrorize the West, but are flaying and decapitating each other in a power struggle to establish one form of medievalism on the world or another. Hopefully, what comes out of this trial is an agreement of what should be saved, including an appropriate kind of civility towards all people, including Muslims, and what should not be sacrificed, such as a vision built on an understanding of what Holland, Europe and the West could become, based on western contributions to the world-at-large, which, as we should know, are still reverberating with Muslim and Jewish elements from the Golden Age of Cordoba. But, it has been over 500 years since then and it is now time for the Muslim world to correct the decay and corruption of its societies rather than pursuing a cult of death for all. There must be something in the Koran that could be the building material. In the meantime, Holland, Europe, and the West in general need to stand tall enough to see the horizon, and for that we will all need to hop on the shoulders of what we cherish the most.
(8) Sol Schneider, October 12, 2010 4:48 PM
Courage
Geert Wilders is one of the few Dutch who see's the inherent danger to Democracy in Holland by the Racist and murderous native and Immigrant Muslims in Holland. Keep Courage and hopefully, eventually Democracy will Win. And Islam will be sent back to N. Africa and into the dark ages from where it came.
(7) Anonymous, October 12, 2010 4:45 PM
Geert WIlders is an extremists and makes dangerous comments that are non democratic.... you should live in holland before making such statements in his defense...
(6) Anonymous, October 12, 2010 4:33 PM
Yes, I agree with him.
Do you have any e-mail address in Holland we could write to directly to show our support of his position.
(5) Gershom, October 12, 2010 4:23 PM
Geert Wilders is the only European politician with cochones enough to dare Islam. He is neither a fascist noch a racist. His issue is Islam and not Arabs, Egyptians or any other peoples. The issue of abrogation give the Islam propagandists the chance to lie through their teeth and be proud of it. Islam is not compatible in any way, shape or form with western ideals and human rights. The Koran is indeed, in content, comparabel to Mein Kampf, even to the "end Lösung" for all kuffir (infidels). Join Islam, be slaves of Islam (Dhimmi), or fight and die. Either we fight now for our freedom or it will soon be too late. It's 1933 all over again.
(4) Michal, October 12, 2010 3:54 PM
Also for me He stands for freedom of speech
When somebody comes as guest into a free and democratic country, he must be able to be critizised by others. Instead he starts to change our laws and lets out hatred for others who are not like him. I remind of the Islamic demonstration, where the German police was so frightened of them, that they opened the door to a flat "be koach", went in and took the Israeli flag out of the windown, because the islamist mob wanted it so. Shame on the German police! It was like in the beginnings of Nazi-time. There too only one group opened its mouth, and everything else was forbidden. May Mijnheer Wilders have an objective judge.!!!
(3) lesley, October 12, 2010 3:44 PM
if geert wilders is found guilty then we can all say goodbye to freedom and hullo to sharia law in europe. it will only be a matter of time before the entire continent is islamitized........
(2) leser landau, October 12, 2010 3:44 PM
Thanks God there is at least one man who is not afraid to say what has to be said openly
(1) Anonymous, October 12, 2010 2:50 PM
hurrah! somebody speaking the truth!