Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > Movement To Deny Freedom of Speech to Dutch MP Wilders Intensifies
Movement To Deny Freedom of Speech to Dutch MP Wilders Intensifies
December 13, 2007
Movement To Deny Freedom Of Speech To Dutch MP Wilders Intensifies
By Beila Rabinowitz
December 13, 2007 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - The life of Dutch politician Geert Wilders who already requires 24 hour security due to death threats made by radical Islamists, has been further endangered by the new "Stop the Verwildering" opposition movement. "Verwildering" is a play on Wilders' name, suggesting "degeneration."
Wilders called the initiative "completely disgusting" and said that the actions of the group are "irresponsible and dangerous."
The movement was started by Rene Danen head of the anti-discrimination foundation "Holland Shows Its Colors" and Mohammed Sini of the "Islam and Citizenship" foundation. Speaking for the group is former union leader Doekle Terpstra, presently the chairman of the Higher Vocational Education Council, who stated that Wilders is, "a danger that must be stopped" and that, "Wilders is evil…"
Eduard Nazarski, of the ultra-left Amnesty International has also lent his support to the movement.
The assault on Wilders is reminiscent of the hysteria which led to the assassination of another Dutch politician, Pim Fortuyn, who in an interview shortly before his murder presciently declared:
"if something happens to me If you see what I get in the mail from time to time - I mean all the threats - it wouldn't make you cheerful. And the Dutch government - I find that a bloody shame, [it] helps to create a climate, the demonizing of me as a person. And if something should happens to me soon, and I am happy you are giving me the opportunity - and if something happens to me soon, then they are partly responsible. And they can't remove their hands from responsibility and say but it wasn't me who committed the attack. You have created the climate. And that has to stop." 1.
Prior to the murder of Theo van Gogh Dutch Muslims had started a petition to "ban" him from writing claiming "he had to be stopped." The petition was submitted to a government official and was circulated with this explanation, "Our patience has ended - Theo van Gogh must stop with his columns…Theo van Gogh's continued attacks on Islam cannot go unpunished…We are angry and have a right to be angry."
Instead of showing solidarity with Wilders who is forced to live under constant guard due to Islamist death threats, his colleagues are attacking him, claiming that it is he who "uses free speech to incite people."
In doing so they have made themselves indistinguishable from those who are calling for his death.
Notes:
1. Militant Islam Monitor, http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2820
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MIM: Dr. Daniel Pipes on Wilders and his planned film.
Will Geert Wilders Show His Film on the Koran?
By my count, there have been six major episodes in modern times in which Muslims rioted and killed in protest to some Western-based person making comments about Islam:
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1989 – Salman Rushdie publishes his novel, The Satanic Verses.
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1997 – The U.S. Supreme Court refuses to remove a 1930s frieze showing Muhammad as lawgiver.
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2002 – The American evangelical leader Jerry Falwell calls Muhammad a "terrorist."
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2005 – An incorrect story in Newsweek, reporting that American interrogators at Guantánamo Bay, "in an attempt to rattle suspects, flushed a Qur'an down a toilet."
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February 2006 – The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten publishes twelve cartoons of Muhammad.
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September 2006 – Pope Benedict XVI quotes a Byzantine emperor's views that what is new in Islam is "evil and inhuman."
Geert Wilders, head of the Freedom Party in the Netherlands. |
That's about to change with the expected television premier on January 25 of an un-named film by a leading Dutch politician Geert Wilders dealing with the Koran. Wilders in the past has compared it to Hitler's Mein Kampf and wants it banned; the film will likely make arguments along these lines: "With this film I'm trying to show not only in words but also images exactly what I mean," he says.
Unlike the British, American, Danish governments or the Vatican, the Dutch government has prepared. It has adopted a two-track policy of (1) trying to stop the screening and, should that fail, (2) getting ready for crisis mode. An article in today's Volkskrant, "Vrees voor rellen rond Koran-film van Wilders" (translated as "Fear of riots over Wilders' Koran film") provides some details. First, the government is trying to shut things down:
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The Justice Department is investigating whether anything can be done to prevent the film from airing.
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When it was leaked that Wilders was coming out with an anti-Koran film, three ministers warned him of the possible consequences.
Should this not succeed, preparatory steps are underway:
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Security around Wilders, which was already heavy, is being beefed up.
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The Amsterdam police have had interviews with imams and other influential persons in the Muslim community this month to prepare for their reactions. A scenario is being prepared for major public order problems. Similar measures are being taken in the Hague and Utrecht.
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Investigations are also underway to see whether Wilders will have to acquire a specially secured residence and whether his fellow party members will require security.
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since informed all of its diplomatic posts … to explain to other countries that the Cabinet has distanced itself from the film.
Comments: (1) That a lone individual, a Rushdie or a Wilders, is in the anomalous position of driving a state's policy makes this situation so fascinating and anomalous. I addressed this unprecedented situation in my 1989 book, The Rushdie Affair:
In a strange reversal, governments waited on the statements issued by a private citizen. Never before had this happened. Nor had an individual's choice of words ever borne so directly on the course of international relations. The situation was especially anomalous in Great Britain, where the authorities at one point felt compelled to deny that they had cleared a pronouncement made by Rushdie. As a news item reported it, with reference to his February 19[, 1989] apology,
Whitehall sources said the Foreign Office had not asked to see the statement in advance. It was volunteered by the publishers. The Foreign Office had not taken any initiative or tried to influence the publishers in any way, nor was there any question that the Foreign Office had "cleared" or "approved" the statement, or taken any view about it.
The absurdity of the situation was caught by a cartoon in Le Monde which showed Rushdie at his typewriter, surrounded by fifteen harried bobbies all keeping an eye on him; one of the policemen barks into the walkie-talkie, "Close the airports!! He wants to write volume two!!!"
(2) When a citizen holds his government hostage, the latter is inevitably tempted to shut down his freedom of expression. Indeed, Wilders has complained of "pure political intimidation" by the cabinet and "unacceptable" pressure being placed on him to desist, including sending the public prosecutor after him. Thus does the Islamist challenge test the principles of Western governments as never before. Put differently, will Westerners resist dhimmitude or succumb to it? The outcome is by no means assured. (December 29, 2007)
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http://www.pipelinenews.org/index.cfm?page=wilders12.13.07%2Ehtm
MIM: More Dutch dhimmitude.
Police talk with Muslims about film
The head of the police corps Welten says that the police are holding talks with imams and other leaders from the Muslim community about the film which politician Geert Wilders wants to produce about the Koran.In his New Year's speech Welten confirmed that the police expect disturbances due to the film.
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Politie praat met moslims over film Korpschef Welten zegt dat de politie gesprekken voert met imams en andere leiders uit de moslimgemeenschap over de film die politicus Geert Wilders over de Koran wil uitbrengen. Welten bevestigde in zijn nieuwjaarstoespraak dat de politie ongeregeldheden verwacht door de film.
"We spreken over de mogelijkheden om commotie op straat te matigen" , aldus Welten. De politie zoekt volgens hem de laatste tijd sowieso veel meer contact met moskeeën en maatschappelijke organisaties, vooral in Amsterdam West. Er zou al een draaiboek zijn bijgewerkt voor grootschalige openbare-ordeproblemen. In Den Haag en Utrecht zijn soortgelijke maatregelen getroffen. Welten zei verder het gevoel te hebben dat de bevolking door deze aanpak van de overlast steeds meer aan de kant van de politie komt te staan. Amsterdam heeft te maken met een flinke toename van het geweld in openbare ruimtes. De daders zijn volgens Welten steeds jonger. "Het is opvallend dat steeds meer mensen, jong en oud, zo onvoorstelbaar lichtgeraakt zijn" , vindt de korpschef. "Veel lieden accepteren niet dat zij worden aangesproken op hun gedrag. Ze beschouwen zichzelf als het middelpunt van de wereld, waaraan de rest zich maar moet aanpassen. De meest onnozele redenen zijn voldoende om enorme agressie op te wekken." De film van Wilders, die voor moslims kwetsende beelden bevat, wordt waarschijnlijk op 25 januari uitgezonden op de televisie. Dat gebeurt in de aan de Partij voor de Vrijheid beschikbaar gestelde zendtijd voor politieke partijen. Justitie onderzoekt of uitzending van de film kan worden tegengehouden. http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/2927725/_Politie_praat_met_moslims_over_film__.html?p=10,1 --------------- A provocation. So describes the Amsterdam police commissioner Bernard Welten the announced film over the Koran by PVV leader Geert Wilders.At the conclusion of his New Year's speech Welten said he hadn't seen the film. "But personally I consider the film as a provocation". I can also imagine that others consider it like that". The commissoner told of his worries that there is a huge rise 33% of robberies of shops and businesses. Last year in Amsterdam 394 shops were robbed. Also the situation with violence in the streets looks somber.(11% rise). Perpetrators are starting to get younger according to Welten. More people are unbelievably easily angered. Many do not accept when they are being criticised regarding their behaviour." http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article491573.ece/Welten_Koranfilm_van_Wilders_is_pure_provocatie Welten: Koran film van Wilders is pure provocatie
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