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  • Hate-Free Speech

    Now the leftwing and politically correct Netherlands, begins to prosecute their own legislatures for their speech.

    This sort of relates to the Fairness Doctrine that the American Left wants to apply to RADIO ONLY to stop the conservative dominated radio talk shows.

    But this situation in the Netherlands is very disturbing.

    For those who say, "It can't happen here."

    Go figure.

    Fred


    Hate-Free Speech

    By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Thursday, January 22, 2009 4:20 PM PT

    Islamofascism: A threat to basic freedom has opened a new front in the war on terror. Dutch filmmaker and politician Geert Wilders is finding out what it means to yell "truth!" in a crowded theater.

    Wilders is a leader in the Dutch Freedom Party and a thorn in the side of politically correct Europeans who've been cowered by their increasing Muslim populations into accepting the creeping Islamicization of Europe — or Eurabia, as we and others have dubbed it.

    In March 2008, Wilders posted "Fitna," a film about the Koran, on the Internet. It equates Islam with violence and the Koran with Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf," at least in its advocacy of obscene violence against humanity and as a blueprint of things to come.
    The opening scenes of "Fitna," a Koranic term sometimes translated as "strife," shows a copy of the Koran followed by footage of the attacks on the U.S. on 9-11, then London in July 2005 and then Madrid in March 2004. Subtle he is not. But neither is he a criminal.
    It did not help that Wilders included in the film a scene showing Muslim protesters holding signs reading "God Bless Hitler." This would tend to lend credence to Wilders' thesis. Mention of Hitler and Nazism in any context is still a touchy subject in Europe to this day, as is criticism of anything Muslim.

    On Wednesday the Dutch Court of Appeals ordered a criminal prosecution of Wilders, who is also a member of the Dutch parliament. "The Amsterdam appeals court has ordered the prosecution of member of parliament Geert Wilders for inciting hatred and discrimination, based on comments by him in various media on Muslims and their beliefs," the court said in a statement.

    As his film shows, this largely amounts to quoting the Koran accurately and reporting the statements of Muslim organizations and their supporters, many of which can't be repeated here.

    Wilders is in fact guilty of nothing but resisting the Islamicization of Europe and the attempt to impose Sharia law on the West. Suppressing all criticism of and debate about Islam is part of that move. Free speech and Sharia law are incompatible.

    Columnist Mark Steyn felt Wilders' pain in 2008, when he went on trial in Canada for "Islamophobia." As in Wilders' case, this consisted largely of quoting Muslim speakers verbatim and then drawing obvious conclusions. Steyn ultimately prevailed, without civil libertarians warning of any "chilling effect" on public discourse.

    Leading this charge to eviscerate freedom of speech in the West is a group called the Organization of the Islamic Conference, composed of Muslim governments in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and around the globe. Its stated mission is "defending the image of Islam, and combating the phenomenon of Islamophobia." In practice, this means using our freedoms to end them.

    Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary general of the OIC, says the group has already targeted the United States. "We have established an OIC group in Washington, D.C.," he announced recently, "with the aim of playing a more active role in engaging American lawmakers." Prosecution of American politicians and opinion-makers may not be far off.
    Ihsanoglu also gave us a warning: "In confronting the Danish cartoons and the Dutch film 'Fitna,' " he said, "we sent a clear message to the West regarding the red lines that should not be crossed."

    We are reminded of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, great-great-grandson of the famous artist, who crossed that "red line" and paid for it with his life in 2004. He was shot and his throat slit on an Amsterdam street after making the film "Submission," which criticized the Islamic world for its harsh treatment of women as exhibited in the Taliban's reign of terror in Afghanistan. Was his film hate speech or merely a documentary of Muslim intolerance?

    Islamofascists know that free speech is the linchpin of Western democracy. We need people like Wilders, van Gogh and Steyn, who dare to exercise that right in the face of such threats. We need to know the truth, for that's what shall keep us free.
    Semper Fi

  • #2
    Yes, it's ridiculous. Famous and respected Dutch authors have written worse things about Christianity. They get literature prizes, Geert Wilders gets to be prosecuted. Even worse is that he will probably get more votes.
    Knowledge is annoying
    -K. Pilkington

    Comment


    • #3
      Nitpick: Theo van Gogh was the descendant of not Vincent van Gogh, but his brother, Theo van Gogh.

      Good article, though.
      I enjoy being wrong too much to change my mind.

      Comment


      • #4
        I imagine those laws were put in place to prevent xenophobic right wingers like the nazis a public voice. Who compared the bible to Mein kampf? I mean really you say just as bad things have been said about christians but when and by who and in the netherlands? I especially loved the shrill tone of the article and frankly think it is dangerous. Isn't grouping all people in one religon together and scapegoating them as what's wrong with a european culture familar? Is Europe really being euroabazided or is a homogenous population threatened by the minority "other". There has been a lot more home grown violent groups than islamic ones in Europe and the terror groups of the 80s did more than kill a Van Gogh. Yah extremists are vile and need to be rooted out but anyone who adopts xenophobic attitudes and lumps every moslem together is no different than those who lump every westerner together as distorted caricatures of who we are. The bible has as many atrocities and immoral vile acts as the Koran it's just what passages we choose to read.

        It's not that extremism isn't a danger. It's that this kind of reaction fuels it. It's hard to say we dont hate their religion just the vile terrorists when we compare their holy book to one written by the most vile figure in history. he will get the xenophobic vote but he will contribute NOTHING to solving the problem.
        Last edited by Roosveltrepub; 23 Jan 09,, 21:30.
        Where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost.”
        ~Ronald Reagan

        Comment


        • #5
          It's called free speech dude. Some of us think it's kind of important.
          I enjoy being wrong too much to change my mind.

          Comment


          • #6
            There is a BIG difference between free speech and hate-speech. And the ability to discern the two is fundamental to our freedom.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by TTL View Post
              There is a BIG difference between free speech and hate-speech. And the ability to discern the two is fundamental to our freedom.
              Disagree, completely, utterly, and absolutely. All speech is free or no speech is free. Either we protect the right to say what one thinks, or we don't. We have free speech in order to protect unpopular speech. Popular speech doesn't need protection.
              I enjoy being wrong too much to change my mind.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by ArmchairGeneral View Post
                Disagree, completely, utterly, and absolutely. All speech is free or no speech is free. Either we protect the right to say what one thinks, or we don't. We have free speech in order to protect unpopular speech. Popular speech doesn't need protection.
                Absolutely.
                "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by TTL View Post
                  There is a BIG difference between free speech and hate-speech. And the ability to discern the two is fundamental to our freedom.
                  Here's the thing. Who's in charge of "discerning" this difference?
                  "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Here's the thing. Who's in charge of "discerning" this difference?
                    Lawmakers.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by neyzen View Post
                      Lawmakers.
                      And if these lawmakers don't agree with your views?
                      "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        So here is a hypothetical situation.

                        Say we're in 1930's France and some author has some forethought and writes a book saying Nazis are a danger to society and the French way of life and that Hitler's book are a blueprint for a lot of bad stuff. Then said French author is arrested for insiting fear and hate. Does it make what the author said any less true?

                        Fact of the matter is things like this is the trend all over the WESTERN world. I emphasize that because most of the rest of the world just ethnocentric enough not to allow crazy ideas like freedom of speech and thought into their society.

                        Western goverments are now bending over backwards these days to cater to outside influences (namely the Islamic influences in Europe and anything that is non christian in the US) due the fear they hold of not looking inclusive or tolerant enough to the point where they persecute those that they aren't catering to.

                        My wife says I tend to be pretty ethocentric, and maybe I am. I try to be accepting, if not just plain tolerant of other thoughts and cultures, but when any government tries to tell me that I am now a criminal because I don't like something that someone else does and I voice said opinion it is time for things to change.
                        Hit Hard, Hit Fast, Hit Often...

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Speech is a product of thought. I agree it is wrong for speech to be use to intimidate and belittle people, but when one cannot tell another that they dont like them or their way of life for such and such a reason, it isnt long until a government can say that you cannot complain about how the government is run either.
                          Hit Hard, Hit Fast, Hit Often...

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by ArmchairGeneral View Post
                            Disagree, completely, utterly, and absolutely. All speech is free or no speech is free. Either we protect the right to say what one thinks, or we don't. We have free speech in order to protect unpopular speech. Popular speech doesn't need protection.
                            I totally agree.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Disagree, completely, utterly, and absolutely. All speech is free or no speech is free. Either we protect the right to say what one thinks, or we don't. We have free speech in order to protect unpopular speech. Popular speech doesn't need protection.
                              Things are not as black and white as you portray. There are many methods of propoganda and inciting hatred which can work their way through masses. I might be a bit utilitarian but I prefer neo-nazis, racists and xenofobes to keep their thougts to themselves instead of trying to spread to rest of the society.

                              Comment

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