Geert Wilders: showing my film was victory for freedom of speech

Geert Wilders: showing my film was victory for freedom of speech

Geert Wilders, the far-right Dutch politician, has used a visit to London to launch an attack on Islam.

By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent
Published: 8:00AM GMT 06 Mar 2010

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Parliament as Mr Wilders, of the Dutch Freedom Party, criticised Muslim culture and attacked the prophet Mohammed.
He held a press conference in which he warned that if Britain did not halt immigration from Islamic nations, the capital could be turned into “Londonistan” within 20 years.

Last year, when he attempted to travel to Britain to screen the film Fitna, which is highly critical of Islam, Mr Wilders was detained at Heathrow Airport and forced to return to Holland after three hours.
However, the decision by Jacqui Smith, the then-home secretary, to ban him from the United Kingdom was overturned in the High Court.
And after being invited again by Lord Pearson, the leader of the UK Independence Party, and Baroness Cox, a cross bench peer, the film was finally screened in the Lords to an audience of around 60 people, largely made up of researchers and secretaries.
Mr Wilders claimed that the screening in the House of Lords of his anti-Islamic film was a victory for freedom of speech.
Afterwards, Mr Wilders set out his view that immigration from Muslim nations to Europe should be halted on the grounds that Islam is a “totalitarian... fascist ideology”.
He said: “Islamism and democracy are incompatible. The more Islamism we have, the more freedom we will lose and this is something worth fighting for.
“I have a problem with Islam. I have a problem with this fascist ideology of Islam.”
Mr Wilders, whose party fared well in recent local elections giving him hope that he could become prime minister in the forthcoming Dutch national poll, has received death threats and faces prosecution in Muslim countries including Jordan and Indonesia.
He has had round the clock security protection for more than six years and disclosed that in Holland, people who shared his surname but were unrelated related to him had also been threatened by those opposed to his views.
“People who do not use democratic means like I do - and whether you totally disagree with me or not, I am using democratic means - are using death threats, the threat of violence and the threat of fatwas. I am in a situation I would not wish on my worst enemy,” he said.
Around 200 people took part in the protests, which blocked the main road outside Parliament for a number of hours, and there were several arrests.
Mr Wilders said that during the Second World War, the BBC had been a beacon of hope for countries such as Holland which were occupied by the Nazis.
He warned that in 20 to 30 years, it could be “Londonistan calling” rather than “London calling,” unless Britain withstood cultural attacks from Islam.
“I believe they bring along a culture and ideology, a fascist ideology, that we should not let grow and threaten our security,” he said.
Lord Pearson said that while he did not agree with all of Mr Wilder’s views, he would “defend to the death” his right to express them.
He added: “To get these subjects discussed you have to sometimes be a little bit naughty, you have to sometimes say things like ‘ban the burka’.”
Baroness Cox added: “I believe in freedom of speech. It is controversial, but we want to have these issues raised.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...y-film-was-victory-for-freedom-of-speech.html


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Does anyone doubt that this guy will be murdered (and thereby to some extent be proven right) sooner or later?

mathloom: Are you hoping he lives in fear for the rest of his life?

 

How is the article anti-Muslim? It does not take sides, just reports what the guy did whom you could call anti-Muslim.

Debate his views...

 

Well, they did murder Theo van Gogh...they are also chasing Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

 

This is his film (WARNING: graphic!)

<object width="450" height="370"><param name="movie" value="http://www.liveleak.com/e/216_1207467783"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.liveleak.com/e/216_1207467783" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="450" height="370"></embed></object>

I'm not saying I agree with the film or how it is presented, but it certainly is very debatable here...

 

Apparently you have reading comprehension issues: The article did not take sides. You can argue that I did, but I did not even deny that.

 

arno, I was waiting for you to comment . From your previous comments, I knew you would strongly disagree with him. I haven't seen interviews with him so I could form my own opinion on how he comes across as a person.

One thing seems for sure, though: He does seem to have a whole lot of people agreeing with him.

He also does not appear to be xenophobic or racist per se - isn't he married to a foreigner?

 

Worst comparison ever. Wilders actually lived in Israel for a while. Whether one agrees with him on his views or not, he also fights to defend freedom of speech, whereas one of Hitler's first acts was to curb freedom of speech. I have yet to see Wilders say he wants to build concentration camps or anything like that. In fact, from what i read, he said that any Muslim who states that they will respect the laws are welcome to stay.

 

Yes Sir.