This is the case of Geert Wilders vs. a group of ranting murder-enticers, a few days ago in London.
If you’ve even heard of Wilders you may have been told that he’s a “dangerous extremist”, with “inflammatory anti-Islamic views” (Newsweek), or a “far right MP” (Guardian) or an “Islamophobe” (BBC), or “offensively anti-Islamic” (Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General). In short, he sounds like a pretty rum sort of fish.
Wilders is a Dutch MP, leader of the Freedom Party, which he says stands for freedom (the clue is in the name). He is in the UK now, after having been denied entry to the UK earlier in the year because the government feared that his views could lead to violence. This time he has been let in, but the authorities say they will “monitor his activities closely” in case they stir up violence.
Wilders’ primary focus is on the Islamification of Europe, which he says is eroding freedoms he cares about; eroding freedoms, that is, for non-Muslims and Muslims alike. Islamification, he says endangers women, homosexuals and non-believers.
A few of his speeches are here and here, and here.
He also made short film, “Fitna” about the link between Islam and violence, which has been all over the Internet, and you can see a review here. Wilders says he did not make the film; it was made by the Islamists he shows in the film, for they are the ones mandating violence by reference to Islamic texts, not he.
Now, here’s the thing: all of what he states as fact can be checked; every fact I have checked is has proved to be correct. He says he is not a racist or xenophobe; nothing I read in his speeches suggests he is.
Meantime, there is that group of ranting murder enticers. They are at the video below. They call for the murder of Wilders -- they want his coiffed head on a stick. Not, note, for any violence Wilders has called for, but for his "insult to Islam". Is this not breathtaking? Surely incitement to murder is a crime, is it not? But aren't they just a bunch of nutters? No: as the holocaust survivor said when asked what she thought the lesson from the holocaust was: “when they say they’re going to kill you, you’d better believe it”. These guys really do want to bring into the UK the Sharia law which would mandate capital punishment for the “sin” of blasphemy, or for “insulting” Muhammad.
So here is what I don’t get. The authorities – and the mainstream media, it would seem -- are more worried about the views of Wilders than they are about the truly horrid, open, brazen calls for a man’s murder, for his peacefully expressed views. To the authorities and the MSM, Wilders is the one who is “extreme” and needs to be “monitored”, not the would-be murderers. How can this be? What’s going on in the body politic that open, nasty, murderous threats are ignored and the open, factual, non-violent talks by Wilders are vilified and “monitored”? (BTW: is it too obvious to note that the murderous mob proves Wilders' thesis about the violence inherent in Islam?).
BBC carried a video report of Wilders’ visit and his press conference and their video is here. The Beebs cut both Wilders’ comments and those of the murderous group. None of the direct threats of murder appear in the BBC video, though they are in the one I post below. BBC ends with an interview of Ed Husein, who is a favourite “moderate” Muslim of the government’s as he can be counted on to say the comforting words they want to hear. In this case, says Ed, it’s just a case of some fringe extremists on either side, neither of which represents many people. It’s OK then, we can go back to sleep.
But Wilders won over 21% of the Dutch electorate, hardly a "fringe" vote and if there were an election now, he would be Prime Minister of Holland; many more people in Europe support his views – see for example “Reflections on the Revolution in Europe” by Christopher Caldwell. And the murderous loons also represent many more than dear Ed would have us believe, for in the UK, some 51% of Muslims are in favour of Sharia law for the UK, and 30% support or condone terrorism.
For a non-MSM view of Wilders, see Man of the Year: Geert Wilders. A snippet:
The truth is that Wilders is a liberal in a uniquely European sense. What he champions are quintessentially Western values: separation of church and state; equality of the sexes; free expression; the right to provoke and even, yes, to offend.
Loquendi Libertatum Custodiamus: "Let us guard free speech"
Geert Wilders press conference: The lynch mob:
ADDED (18/6/24): Link Rot strikes again, so those videos no longer available.
