I had a chance to travel through Amsterdam when I was a junior in college in 1996. Much of what everyone has heard about that city is true. It's most famous of course for its libertine attitude including the availability of marijuana in most coffee shops and the red light district which houses an endless array of prostitutes that stand in front of a glass door posing for any passer by. In Amsterdam, as much of the Netherlands, the folks believe in a live and let live attitude.
For this reason the case of Geert Wilders is just that much more shocking. Wilders is a member of the Netherlands parliament and he has been an outspoken critic of Islam. Recently, he helped make the movie, Fitna, which criticized Islam.The Dutch Court of Appeals recently charged Wilders with "incitement to hatred and violence" because he made this film. This is all parts stunning, tragic, and very ironic that the same place that sees no problem with women standing nearly naked in front of a full sized window will send someone to jail because they have made a movie that a religion finds offensive.
It appears that the libertarian attitude of the Dutch only goes so far. Prostitution and drug use are protected under the guise of libertarianism while free expression is deemed to be "incitement to hatred and discrimination".
Of course, if the establishment continues on this obscene road to multiculturalism, they will soon be shocked by how far it will go. After all, merely having prostitutes stand in front of a glass door and offer their bodies for money is no less an affront to Islam than is making a movie that challenges the religion. The long road toward multiculturalism only starts with jailing someone that makes a movie deemed insulting to religion. Soon, the establishment will realize that much of their society as they know it is in and of itself an affront to Islam.
Nobody is sending nobody 'to jail because a religion is offended', the court is just investigating IF certain speeches of Geert Wilders have been discriminating in general. Geert Wilders is not exactly the most 'freedom loving' guy in the Netherlands. If we had it his way, everybody in Holland would have had the same basic rights except for muslims and blacks.
ReplyDeleteWhat Widers is or isn't, is frankly, beside the point. If his view is fallacious, discriminatory, or otherwise wrong, it should be challenged. Yet, it has been prosecuted. Whether he goes to jail or not, the very idea that he has been charged for making a movie shows just how little the folks in Holland actually value free speech.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous you're so full of crap it hurts. Are you honestly saying that if this had been a movie criticizing Christianity he would still be prosecuted? What is so special about Islam that makes put it above criticism? Where would we be today if every person who criticized Christianity during the Age of Enlightenment was gagged and bound? Come to think of it, wasn't Holland known for its openness towards people escaping persecution for expressing their views on Christianity?
ReplyDeleteIslam is an ideology and has no right not to be criticized (at least in a secular, democratic state such as Holland purports to be).
.
ReplyDeletePartij voor de Vrijheid! Very good point you close with. This Kangaroo Court should be very careful about what precedents they wish for.
The Koran shouldn't be banned. Mein Kampf isn't a 'Holy Book', but it shouldn't be banned either, but you should be able to criticize it and the idiots who agree with it.
As you may suspect, Geert Wilders is NO racist. He is simply against out-of-control immigration; and against immigrants who won't assimilate; and the ones who beat Gays and rape non-Muslim women for not being covered up.
He is also very much against the ones who kill their own daughters and sisters for their 'family honor'.
.
here's an absurd thought -
your Supreme God knows
Christ was a pedophile
and a raping terrorist
converting slaves by the sword
.
Muslims are not a 'race' anyway, they are followers of a religion/ideology and its Sharia Law.
Most Muslims aren't even Arabs, which by the way, is also not a 'Race'.
But their duty is, according to their Koran, to spread Sharia law over the whole Earth. It might take 100-200 years, if they succeed.
Is that the kind of world you want for your great-grand children's great-grand children? A Taliban Planet? I bet not.
Muslims are the biggest victims of Islam. Wilders is NOT against Muslims, he is against Islamic Fundamentalism.
You should read the Koran, but be careful, for the Koran prohibits non-Muslims from reading it.
I wonder why.
This is BIG, this is REAL BIG! SPREAD THE WORD to the world everyone! The EU Mandarins have crossed the line! If this goes to court, how much more of the public will become aware of this tyranny?
All real freedom starts with freedom of speech. If there is no freedom of speech, then there can be no real freedom.
The Christians and Jews don’t riot when somebody makes fun of Christ or Jews. People must learn to be civilized, and held to account when they are not. Muslims included.
Geert Wilders is a hero spreading the painful truth. He MUST be protected!
.
here's an absurd thought -
your Supreme God says
Christians are a race
who love the Jewish race
and the peaceful Buddhist race
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe wants
Islam for everyone
submit to glorious life
slavery and servitude
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
outlaw self-defense
exposing violent crimes
shall be deemed hate speech
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
decide to change your race
just simply change religions
your religion is your race
.
All real freedom starts with freedom of speech. Without freedom of speech there can be no real freedom.
.
Philosophy of Liberty Cartoon
.
Help Halt Terrorism Today!
.
USpace
.
:)
.