Dutch court orders prosecution of anti-Islam politician/movie-maker

[Naveed Yaseen]

THE HAGUE (January 22 2009): A Dutch court ordered prosecutors Wednesday to put far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders on trial for inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims by comparing their religion to Nazism. "By attacking the symbols of the Muslim religion, he also insulted Muslim believers," the Amsterdam appeals court said in a written judgement.

"In a democratic system, hate speech is considered to be so serious that it is in the general interest to ... draw a clear line," it added. The court was handing down judgement after receiving numerous complaints from citizens over the prosecution service's refusal to press charges against Wilders for several public anti-Islamic statements.

These included statements in his 17-minute film "Fitna", which has been called "offensively anti-Islamic" by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and whose screening in the Netherlands prompted protests in Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia and Afghanistan. Wilders is the leader of the Dutch Freedom Party (PVV), which has nine seats in parliament.

He has called for the banning of the Holy Quran in the Netherlands, calling it "fascist." The prosecutor's office in Amsterdam said it had no option to appeal the judgement, and an investigation into charges of hate speech would be started immediately.

It could not say how long it would be before Wilders appeared in court. Wilders said the ruling marked "a black day". I see "the judgement of the court as an attack on the freedom of expression," he said in a statement on his party website.

"Participation in the public debate has become a dangerous activity. If you give your opinion, you risk being prosecuted." Not only he, but all Dutch citizens opposed to the "Islamisation" of the Netherlands will be on trial, said Wilders. "Who will stand up for our culture if I am silenced?"

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