Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin rejects demands by two parties to bar a radical Islamic preacher from speaking in the Netherlands.
Mr Hirsch Ballin wrote to parliament on Thursday that the preacher, American citizen Khalid Yasin, is free to enter the country and address audiences. The justice minister adds that Mr Yasin will risk prosecution if it turns out that his speeches incite hatred. He emphasises that everyone in the Netherlands has freedom of speech, provided they respect the rule of law.
The two major parties of the governing coalition, Labour and Christian democrat CDA, together with the opposition populist right-wing Freedom Party, had asked for a ban. They cited earlier utterances by Mr Yasin, who according to the Freedom Party is "a terrorist" and "an evil man". Labour had asked the justice minister to verify reports that Mr Yasin preaches radical Islam and intolerance between muslims and non-muslims. The Christian democrats wrote to the minister that they feared Mr Yasin would issue calls to violence.
The issue mirrors the case of Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders, against whom a prosecution was started on Wednesday for inciting hatred against Muslims. The MP is a vocal critic of the Qur'an, having compared Islam's holy book to Hitler's Mein Kampf and said it fosters terrorism. Mr Wilders says he was exercising his right to free speech, both inside and outside of parliament.
Converts to Islam
Mr Yasin is scheduled to give two lectures to Islam converts at the private Islamic University of Rotterdam; he will also speak in the town of Maaseik in Belgium. Rotterdam's recently appointed mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb told the ANP agency that Mr Yasin is welcome in his city, but the mayor said he did not want to become involved in a discussion over religion. "Every individual has their own perception of religion." Mr Aboutaleb rejected censorship and said he was hoping for a lively debate, "but if his texts are insulting or inciting to hatred, we'll prosecute him."
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Khalid Yasin's opinions
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Khalid Yasin has been quoted as:
- advocating the death penalty for homosexuality
- claiming the HIV virus was deliberately engineered by Western governments
- questioning the existence of al-Qaeda and its involvement in the 9/11 attacks
- asserting that the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings were justified in the light of a history of Western oppression of Islam
Khalid Yasin:
"There's no such thing as a Muslim having a non-Muslim friend. If you prefer the clothing of the kafirs over the clothing of the Muslims, most of those names that's on most of those clothings is faggots, homosexuals and lesbians...The Koran gives a very clear position regarding homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality - that these are aberrations, they are immoralities and if they are tried, convicted, they are punishable by death."
"Osama bin Laden is not everywhere, omnipotent. ... where's Osama bin Laden? That would warrant $68 billion in 17 countries hunting him and everyone in their houses being afraid of this kind of Osama bin Laden bogey man. This is a creation ... in order to justify a war they call on terror but is really a terror they have put inside the people. It is a war against Islam... There has been no evidence that has surfaced, no bona fide irrevocable, irrefutable evidence ... that there is a group called al-Qa'ida that did the September 11 bombings. I'm of the opinion there was a rogue operation that took place."
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Tags:
Ahmed Aboutaleb,
freedom of speech,
Geert Wilders,
Khalid Yasin
jasmin,
27-01-2009
- India
It is so sad, that the spirit of GOD that signifies love and peace should be the cause of hatred between people on this earth. And that too in this century. The need of the hour is to host an all-religious conference, where all these self-employed private secretaries to GOD, should decide, once for all, that what language, clothes and rituals, should this invisible form of Energy, adhere to. Nobody has seen GOD, and He is supposed to be around here before the universe took shape, and will be here long after the universe ceases to exist. So, why fight over something that we have never seen, or Someone, who isn't here to defend Oneself from these self-styled deputies to the One. It is ridiculous that we all the people on this earth are wasting our life, fighting over dogmas that are not really from GOD. All the religions should be banned, and then all the wars will stop.
And my question to Khalid Yasin is: Have you seen GOD?
Steve,
27-01-2009
- USA
Sandra, actually it is not. It is a very thin line here. The supreme court has tended to side with the freedom of speech almost unanimously. Anyway, having it out in the open can actually keep negative views from spreading. There is a museum glorifying Hitler about an hour north of Chicago. No one has ever heard of it despite the fact it has been open for years. The reason I heard of it is the local people in the town sued the owner to try and have it shut down because it "lowered their property values". They knew they would loose if they tried having it closed down because of the message the owner is preaching. That being said because it is out in the open and not forced underground it is not radical.
jasmin,
27-01-2009
- India
''Listening to Yasin's speech at the packed auditorium at the Islamic university in Rotterdam last Friday, the words from the justice ministry turn out to be an understatement. Contrary to some expectations the Brooklyn-born 62-year-old preacher told his audience that they must abide by the law, integrate into Dutch society as much as possible and build a better country together with non-Muslims. At the end of his marathon speech, he thanked the prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende and the Dutch queen Beatrix for their hospitality.
During his speech, Yasin gave a message of "tolerance, respect and social reconstruction." Indeed, he said, "Western society offered Muslims the best possibilities for development." He said, paraphrasing John F. Kennedy, "This nation wants to know what one million Dutch Muslims can do for their country." He also warned Dutch Muslim youth: "Don't come to me with the nonsense that you won't obey the kafirs (non-believers)." NRC-HANDELSBLAD
Why put an article, without solid basis, based on rumours and gossip, that leads to inflammable reactions on your forum? Not a healthy way to increase circulation!
jasmin,
27-01-2009
- India
It is so sad, that the spirit of GOD that signifies love and peace should be the cause of hatred between people on this earth. And that too in this century. The need of the hour is to host an all-religious conference, where all these self-employed private secretaries to GOD, should decide, once for all, that what language, clothes and rituals, should this invisible form of Energy, adhere to. Nobody has seen GOD, and He is supposed to be around here before the universe took shape, and will be here long after the universe ceases to exist. So, why fight over something that we have never seen, or Someone, who isn't here to defend Oneself from these self-styled deputies to the One. It is ridiculous that we all the people on this earth are wasting our life, fighting over dogmas that are not really from GOD. All the religions should be banned, and then all the wars will stop. And my question to Khalid Yasin is: Have you seen GOD?
Brad ,
27-01-2009
- Netherlands
Wilders’ reaction is exactly what I would expect. He doesn’t want anyone stepping on his right to free speech but he will gladly take it away from Khalid Yasin. I don’t think that Yasin should be able to preach hate either but what a double standard when Wilders thinks that he himself should be able to.
sandra,
27-01-2009
- Nederlands
Steve, we should push for that Imam to be stripped of his USA citizenship for inciting hatred and violence. What do you think? Isn't that sort of treason for a USA citizen to to preach what this imam preaches against Americans and other westerners?
Steve,
26-01-2009
- USA
http://www.petitiononline.com/wilders/petition.html
22951 so far
Steve,
26-01-2009
- USA
Sandra, I have also been posting the link in other forums. Sadly though people will listen to him. The American form of "urban Islam" mainly attracts underprivileged urban followers. I walked past a rally with one of these "religious" speakers yelling so much anti-American and anti-Semitic hate it made me sick. I agree with his right to be able to say what he wants, but if someone, such as Wilders, was across the street shouting the opposite would they be safe? Would they be alive in one week, one month, or one year? Would they need a police escort for the rest of their life? Even if a country's laws protect free speech is it really free if someone has to fear for their life after saying something? That, unfortunately is out of the hands of the nation, and requires a religion to change to accept criticism. This, I am afraid, will never happen. One of the American Islamic leaders recalled his anit-Semitic speech after visiting the holocaust museum in Houston. If only we could get all of them to walk through one of these museums at least once.
silvio,
26-01-2009
- cagliari
"The issue mirrors the case of Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders" ... I don't think this example is neutral because you have chosen the worst ideas, those of Khalid Yasin, who is the embodiment of all the stupidity that Wilders acribes to the muslim population. With all the parallels that mr. Kievit could choose, he chose exactly that of Khalid Yasin. If I were a Muslim, I would have a reasons to be 'anti-american', so to speak, because this american citizen called Yasin would not represent me. Yasin is the caricature with which Wilders fell in love and the comparison of this article is somehow messed up.
sandra,
26-01-2009
- Nederlands
Khalid Yasin looks like he's a madman on crack! He needs to go check himself into the nut house! Look at that loser, just who is going to listen to him anyway? I do have to say though that it's dumb to allow this crack pot to come to the Netherlands with his hate speech and then in the same breath prosecute Geert Widlers for speaking the truth? Hypocritical!
Rabbit,
25-01-2009
- Netherlands
What double standard !!!
Wilders is not allowed to say what he wants on behave of this country, AND yet a Radical preacher from the Moslim faith is welcome!
Mr Aboutaleb -- REMEMBER he is American ... Are you sure he is not protected by his country law that he is BEYOND law? By the way, how are you going to measure what is insulting and inciting?? MORE money and resources throwing into court cases THAT could and SHOULD be prevented to begin with??
Do these people, Ernst Hirsch Ballin and Aboutaleb understand who is paying them their salaries? Who are they working for? And whom they should protect against?? Imagine we are going to stuck with Aboutaleb for the next 6 years (he promised he would stay full term for this post).
Bram,
25-01-2009
-
Jan-- what exactly are you talking about? You are demonstrating a complete misunderstanding of the usage of the word "radical". Note- the radical things you speak of- healing the sick, walking on water, etc.. are peaceful. The radical being spoken of here is calling for outright murder of the "kafir", which by the way, is an incredibly insulting term in islam, having the same effect as the n word in the US or "paki" in Engand. Think before you type, Jan.
Dick Udell,
24-01-2009
- USA
Mr. Wilders and Mr. Yasin both should be allowed to speak without fear of prosecution as long as they are not inciting others to hatred and violence and are only stating their preferences, positions, and facts! If they advocate racism and violence, they both should be prosecuted!
Carole,
24-01-2009
- United Kingdom
I think holland and the West have a death wish because that is what it will come to if they don`t clamp down hard on these Islamofascists. Geert Wilders should be applauded for what he`s doing not prosecuted. He`s only telling the truth but they exchange the truth for a lie these days, don`t they? When is Holland and the West going to wake up before it`s too late?
George,
24-01-2009
- Netherlands
This reduces the credibility of the Dutch state tremendously, to allow Khalid Yasin to come and speak whilst prosecuting Geert Wilders. I understand fully when Mr. Hirsch Ballin says that he has the right to come and speak, and only after he has spoken should his speech be analyzed for prosecution or not, and he has a valid point. But what takes away credibility on the Dutch side is that the prosecution of Wilders seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to the Israeli war in Gaza, rather than having anything to do with the law itself. Otherwise Geert would have been prosecuted long before. Also, I don't think it is unreasonable for the Dutch government to ban a foreign person from speaking publicly in the Netherlands if it's deemed that that person has publicly said things in the past that would warrant prosecution under Dutch law. But I see that that is not the current policy of the government. The scary thing about living in the Netherlands is that this the Dutch run things by "policy" a lot - you never know when the rules for anything will change because rather than go through democratic processes, most decisions are 'policy', meaning it changes depending on who is sitting behind which office. Geert was previously free to say what he wanted, now he's not, but later on he will probably be free again, because the law isn't enforced here, only 'policy' is.
