Geert Wilders

The trial of Geert Wilders, the leader of the third party in Holland, on five charges of inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims, has been halted. Just one of the problems of this sort of legislation is that people can't help displaying their anti-racial views to jump on the bandwagon. In this case, when Wilders, quite legally, I think, exercised his right to remain silent the judge seemed to accuse him of avoiding argument, suggesting that he often had.

The judge will probably have to be replaced and the trial abandoned or started again. Every minute this goes on is wonderful publicity for Wilders.

Most of the accusations stem from his film Fitna. I have seen it, and you can too if this link works

http://www.wildersontrial.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=38:fitna&catid=6:content

I have not posted it because it shows some pretty violent stuff, including one scene I rather wish I hadn't seen. But it did not seem to me to incite racial hatred. Most of it showed scenes of Muslims exciting their own kind to racial hatred against Christians and Jews and homosexuals, with several which were clear incitement to murder. I'm afraid if this is what the Dutch prosecution service is going after they are making asses of themselves.

The film does compare parts of the Koran with Mein Kampf but to be honest as regards the bits about slaughtering Jews the Koran is much stronger stuff (and of course better written).

Geert Wilders may be all right, he may be a nasty piece of work, but this film merely purports to show that Holland is too tolerant of an intolerant minority which is trying to change its way of life. That's not incitement, it's politics. Given that, we can only regard his prosecution as an attack on his freedom of speech.

'I disagree with what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it' as Voltaire never said (it was one of his mates). I'm afraid we have to defend him.