The Public Prosecutor's Office in the Netherlands is investigating whether to prosecute anti-Israel demonstrators for using hate speech. During various demonstrations last weekend against the conflict in the Gaza Strip some people shouted anti-Semitic slogans, such as 'Hamas, Hamas, Jews should be gassed'.
In just his second week as mayor of Rotterdam, where some of the demonstrations took place, Ahmed Aboutaleb said such slogans would not be tolerated during future protests. Mr Aboutaleb is the first mayor of a major European city to have an immigrant, Muslim background.
Prosecution possible
Minister of Justice Ernst Hirsch Ballin has refused to comment on specific cases but has confirmed that the public prosecutor is reviewing video tapes of the demonstrations. Prosecutions could still follow:
"Freedom of speech has a high value in our legal system, however freedom of speech has its limits and therefore the public prosecutor will investigate any situations in which speech, expressions have clearly offensive meaning." The Dutch government has been a staunch supporter of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, leading to increasing criticism from various segments of Dutch society. Not least from among the approximately 800,000-strong Muslim community.
The high death toll in the Gaza Strip, combined with a feeling that their own government has turned a deaf ear to the suffering, heightened emotions at the demonstrations. But the foremost organisation representing Dutch Jews, the Centre for Information and Documentation [on] Israel (CIDI), says the police's reluctance to intervene sends a message that inciting hatred against Jews is acceptable. A spokesman for the CIDI reports that anti-Semitic incidents have increased since the military campaign in Gaza began.
Line crossed
Member of parliament Sybrand van Haersma Buma, the justice expert for the Christian Democrats, says demonstrators can say what they want about the Israeli government. It's when they include all Jews that they cross the line. He doesn't have much patience with people who excuse anti-Semitism:
"The idea might be that people think, ah, they are Muslims we need to respect the fact that they insult others. But that is not something I expect of Muslims. And that's not something Muslims do. There are also people who have extreme views within Muslim society."
Dutch Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin |
Farid Azarkan is director of an umbrella organisation that represents Dutch people of Moroccan descent. He agrees that such anti-Semitic sentiments are not appropriate:
"We don't think such slogans should be tolerated, or that flags should be burned. We want protests where we respectfully show that we don't agree with something."
But Mr Azarkan says it's important to consider the context in which the speech was used. He questions why there is so much concern about hate speech, and so little apparent concern for the high death toll in the Gaza Strip.
Context
Justice Minister Hirsch Ballin agrees that the context in which speech is used can be taken into account. For instance, supporters can be prosecuted for yelling racist statements at a football match. But the motivation for a football supporter is different from that of a protestor.
Where Muslim organisations say the current context at least partly excuses the anti-Semitic statements, the Justice Minister doesn't agree. But limiting speech, even hate speech, is difficult. Attempts to prevent football supporters from shouting racist slogans have proved unsuccessful.
Perception
Minister Hirsch Ballin says that at any rate there is no need to change the law, and there are no plans to make a list of forbidden expressions. Nonetheless he will have to deal some time with the perception among many Muslims that the Dutch legal system applies a double standard. Muslims are prosecuted for hate speech, while at the same time, the leader of the rightwing Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, is allowed to compare the Muslim holy book, the Qu'ran, with Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf.
The public prosecutor decided not to prosecute Mr Wilders for inciting hatred with his film Fitna and other public statements. But a court in Amsterdam will decide next week whether that decision should be reversed. For many in the Dutch Muslim community, that would increase their faith in the rule of law.
Tags:
Ahmed Aboutaleb,
anti-Semitism,
CIDI,
Dutch Jews,
Dutch Muslims,
Ernst Hirsch Ballin,
freedom of expression,
freedom of speech,
Hamas,
incitement
MaryJ,
24-01-2009
- USA
When are Muslims ever prosecuted in Europe for "hate speech"? They appear to be able to say what they want, when they want it. European blogs often publish photos of them with signs reading "Death to the Infidels" and other manifestations of "hate speech." Nothing happens to them; the Euro authorities are too timid to lay a hand on them. These photos never appear in the mainstream media, but they exist, and plenty of people have seen them. We all know about the European/leftist double standards and hypocrisy about "hate speech." Get real, Radio Netherlands. They day we will see a Muslim prosecuted for "hate speech" in Europe is the day that blue pigs fly over the Rijksmuseum. The are protected and pampered and catered to by Western leaders 24/7.
AK,
23-01-2009
- USA
It's very sad how the Dutch have become dhimmis. Their society has ceased to become a democracy if they don't allowfree speech. What Wilders is doing is political speech in a public forum. You may not agree with it and yes you may be insulted by it but it has a place in public discourse. The last thing the Dutch dhimmified authorities should be doing is shutting him up. You Dutch are on your way to becoming nazis.
Jon Reykdalin,
19-01-2009
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http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090119_peace_is_in_the_eye_of_the_beholder/
sandra,
17-01-2009
- Nederlands
Thank you Jasmine and Marcus. You can see both sides impartially and objectively.
jasmin,
16-01-2009
- India
No country in the world should have the licence to shatter the peace of its neighbouring country, through, low cost guerilla warfare; acts of terrorism; inciting hatred by infiltration; supporting insurgents and rebel groups and waging a proxy war, killing hundreds of innocent people, for years altogether, as the suffering nations, forgive, forgive and look the other way, while the United Nations, sleeps and sleeps as a lovely princess. And then when the suffering country calls it,'enough is enough' and retaliates, the whole world arises to protect the erring neighbour!!!
However, no violence is acceptable. So both the countries should see reason, and stop their violence. Enough is Enough. And hatred speech, is adding fuel to fire. So stay calm and appeal for peace on Earth.
Marcus,
16-01-2009
- USA/Nederland
I think an important thing that people are forgetting when comparing the language of people like Geert Wilders to these protestors screaming "jews should be gassed" are crossing a line that even Geert Wilders doesn't cross - he's never called for violence or genocide. I don't think there is too much of a double standard going on here, Geert Wilders would be prosecuted immediately if he said "gas the muslims". I think we all need to calm down and understand really where the lines are. The lines are when you call for violence against a people just for them belonging to a category that is wrong. As much as I despise Geert Wilders, as a Libra who always sees both sides of the issues, I'm really disappointed in how people have become so polarized. Yes, Israel is causing tremendous suffering and should be condemned for it, but Hamas has also caused loss of life as well, so I don't understand why there is so much automatic support for Hamas... I just don't like how much anger there is when all these angry protesters should be focussing their energy on condeming all violence, all hate speech on both sides. It's ridiculous to say that calling for genocide against a people is acceptable... not every israeli person or jewish person agrees with the israeli military. Just like I'm an American who NEVER supported the Iraq war and I would feel horrible if someone said "gas all americans" just because of my government's atrocities. I didn't commit any atrocities! So stop the hate speech and everyone calm down and focus your anger into something that doesn't cause more harm, because then you are in the same camp as the militants on all sides of any conflict who just keep on fighting instead of backing away from escalation.
SAS,
16-01-2009
- USA
It may seem rather rich at this stage to make all this fuss over free speech in the Netherlands. The country has, in recent years, seen a dramatic upsurge in anti immigrant and anti Muslim sentiment, exemplified by the anti Muslim rhetoric of the likes of Pim Fortuyn, Theo Van Gogh and Geert Wilders. And now, after all the hate speech targeted at immigrants - mostly, though not exclusively Muslim - we are being told that the condemnation by a few legal protests by opponents of Israel's gut wrenchingly merciless attacks in Gaza are ``intolerable''. Which raises the question - why is anti Muslim/anti immigrant hate speech condoned in the name of freedom of expression while even the slightest criticism of Israel or Jewish communities worldwide is silenced in the name of political correctness.
Why the double standard ? Logic demands that what goes for the goose should also go for the gander.
James,
15-01-2009
- uk
How can you have a country (Israel) that is founded soley on religion?? Israel allows anyone in the world with the Jewish faith the right to move to Israel and take up Israeli citizenship. The problem is there are already Arab people living on this land for thousands of years, but they are now pushed out to make way for people from around the world that "claim they" have the Jewish faith, giving them automatic right to Isreali citizenship. It would be similar to Nazi Germany saying anyone with the white race has got automatic right to German citizenship and anyone else living in Germany with no aryan white connection should be forced to move.
Vera Gottlieb,
15-01-2009
- Germany
No, hate speech is not ok. But labelling a truth as hate just so that facts don't see the light of day is not ok either.
Vera Gottlieb,
15-01-2009
- Germany
What a shame that Sandra keeps using the same old and tired lines to defend Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza. This has gone far beyond religion, this is pure hatred. Israel is an accupying force applying all means of chicanery and harassment - and Gazans should not have the right to defend themselves? An Israeli life is worth more than a Palestinian? Some of the IDF's tactics certainly are reminiscent of the Nazi tactics applied in the Warsaw ghetto. Unpleasant truth, isn't it?
Evert C. Weidner,
15-01-2009
- USA
You could say that hate speech, as the utterance of any terrorist mind set, is actually an admission of a false idea which cannot see the light of day, so it publicly attempts to do the opposite, and will only make an impact on the ignorant. In that respect it says more about the audience, than the perpetrator.
Q,
15-01-2009
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I do think Israel state is a terrorist organisation and therefore I do hate it. If I cannot say this out loud then I think we have a problem when conceiving democracy. Another thing is that I decide to take violent accion, but how can anyone stop me of saying what I think? Or should we also put Wilders in jail? As the author said, "I desagree with what you say but I would give my life for you to be able to say it"...
Sofie Jørgensen,
15-01-2009
- Norway
I see why Jewish living in Europe have caused many conflicts between them and other nations. In my opinion, Israel has shared plenty of common things with Nazi Germany. Firstly, Israel doesn't communicate with international communities, in particular UN Security Resolution's immediate ceasefire urge. Secondly, they have no tolerance towards Palestinians, as if they are superior race in the world, namely Zionism. Thirdly, their brutal attacks are genuinely aimed at civilians, including dozens of children. Israel is a bloodshed country of war-holics.
silvio,
15-01-2009
- italy
I guess that we must find alternative ways for expressing our disagreement. The shouting of slogans, whether offensive or not, seems to have lost much of its efficacy. If a country wants to attack another country for example, it can happen that the governemnt will ignore the mass of protestors not only within the country, but also all over the world.
sandra,
15-01-2009
- Nederlands
In making your comparison between Nazi Germany and democratic Israel, you ignored the Hamas rockets directed against Israeli citizens and the suicide bombs employed by Palestinian terrorists to blow up school buses, discos and religious ceremonies. Any comparison between Israeli efforts to defend its citizens from terrorism on the one hand, and the Nazi Holocaust on the other hand, is obscene and ignorant!
