Dutch Court Acquits Anti-Islam Politician (Geert Wilders)

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

PARIS — Geert Wilders, the fiery right-wing Dutch politician, was acquitted on Thursday of hate speech charges by an Amsterdam court, which found that his inflammatory comments about Muslims were protected by rules governing discourse in a free society.

Mr. Wilders, 47, had faced a possible one-year prison sentence on five charges of inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims. He has become an important force in Dutch politics, making provocative statements including comparing the Koran with Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” and calling for an end to Muslim immigration.

Mr. Wilders also made a short film, “Fitna,” in 2008 that portrayed Islam as inherently violent, and he joined Newt Gingrich in New York last year to oppose the building of an Islamic community center and mosque near the World Trade Center site.

But the presiding judge of the Amsterdam District Court, Marcel van Oosten, found that while offensive, Mr. Wilders’s actions were protected speech. In dismissing the charges, Judge Oosten described some of Mr. Wilders’s comments as “rude and denigrating” and others as “on the edge of what is allowed,” Radio Netherlands reported.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/world/europe/24dutch.html

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Wilders is a former Catholic who became an agnostic but has politically allied with Christians. And the consequence of freedom of speech is that bigoted speech is going to be allowed.

[iandhr]

1. Even bigots...

have the rights to freedom of speech... Freedom is not always easy. But its far better then the alternative.

[backtomn]

3. I agree......we often hold our noses and support this.

Free speech is not absolute, but certainly can withstand this type of thing.

[hack89]

2. Good. nt

[BadtotheboneBob]

4. Noam Chomsky said...

"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all"... Good enough for me...