The film Fitna was shown in the British upper house of parliament on Thursday despite the British authorities' refusal to allow its maker, Dutch rightwing populist MP Geert Wilders, into the United Kingdom.
Geert Wilders showing his Dutch passport |
Only around 30 people attended the screening, five of them members of the upper house.
All 743 members of the upper house were invited, as were the 646 members of the lower house, none of whom attended.
Mr Wilders returned from London to the Netherlands on Thursday evening. At London's Heathrow Airport he was refused entry by the British immigration authorities, who put him on a plane to Amsterdam shortly afterwards.
Mr Wilders said he was furious at the incident, describing it as a blow both to himself and to freedom of speech. He called British PM Gordon Brown "Europe's biggest coward".
"Threat to society"
The Freedom Party leader had been invited by a member of the upper house, the House of Lords, to show his anti-Islam film Fitna, but the Foreign Office informed him on Tuesday that allowing him to enter the UK would pose a "genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to one of the fundamental interests of society".
Mr Wilders was accompanied on his trip by dozens of journalists, which led to chaotic situations at Heathrow Airport.
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It's not only within Europe that there's controversy over censorship of remarks about Islam.
The editor and publisher of one of India's oldest english language newspapers have been arrested on charges of insulting Muslims.
Ravindra Kumar and Anand Sinha of The Statesman, were arrested after republishing an article from a British paper titled "Why should I respect oppressive religions?".
Manar Joshi of The Mail newspaper in Delhi told Newsline's Hermione Gee that the government is setting a dangerous precedent with these arrests.
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Tags:
Fitna,
Geert Wilders,
Islam
Sandra,
15-02-2009
- Nederlands
Geert Wilders does not murder, nor does he order mass murders of Muslims. Geert Wilders does not hate, nor does he hate a race of people or preach it. Hilter did and Hitler was a racist who wanted to wipe out a race of people by death. He even killed handicapped people. So those of you calling Wilders Hitler, should wash your slanderous mouths out with soap and water!
zebuloneuf,
15-02-2009
- France
Stop talking, start acting
Isn't your freedom worth a stamp???
If Geert Wilders falls, then Freedom of speech is dead in Europe. We are launching an extensive International Action SITA including two possible texts ; one comparing Wilders and Winston Churchill and another Wilders and Charlie Chaplin:
http://sitamnesty.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/i-support-democrat-geert-winston-wilders-against-islamic-fascism-and-its-dhimmis (Winston Eng)
http://sitamnesty.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/i-support-democrat-geert-charlie-wilders-against-islamic-fascism (Charlie Eng)
To support Geert Wilders and our dearly acquired freedoms please participate to the 2 suggested actions and transmit this message to your friends owners of a website in order they publish it.
An other way to support Geert Wilders is to give some money. To donate: www.geertwilders.nl
Thomas,
14-02-2009
- USA
David Berrige Canada
You are right Comrade: we have to crush the class enemies like the bankers and the kulaks and the clerical-reactionaries.
The world's proletariat should support Islam which is the most progressive force on earth for liberating women and punishes the homos: we progressives need Sharia to teach a lesson to the petty bourgeoisie which supports the class aliens and the enemies of the people.
sarcasm off.
Rabbit,
14-02-2009
- NL
I don't necessary agreed with all things Wilders, but here is how I see the whole episode ...
the more we ban 'something', the more it entice people to want to take a 'peep' of the forbidden fruit. The more the Islamic radicals want the world to do things their way, the more the rest of the world would want to do things AGAINST them. Just simple human natures.
We should follow the Danish PM, and most recently the Australian PM, and just let the Moslims world understand we are not their enemies, we just want them to accept our way of lives IF they so wished to come to our countries to benefit our kind of freedom, economy (IF there is anything left!!) bla, bla, bla
Gordon Brown missed a great opportunity to be a great leader. IF he just let Wilders entered the UK without much a do, the whole thing would blow over in a few days.
Restore Democracy,
13-02-2009
- USA
Congratulations, PM Brown, for a decision well made. Wilders' stance on ideological extremism is well-founded, but his own ideological extremism overshadows and negates what he claims to represent... as he fights fire with fire, the flames leap higher, and no one wins. Maybe what is needed are official efforts for continued and mediated dialogue between rational members of the differing groups, so that the objective of the low fanatical elements -- to create social chaos in Holland -- is defeated. One might also reconsider what the role of Religion actually is in the evolution of 21st Century society in any country or culture... what and whom does religion serve? Politicians and their objectives? Society? Personal needs? Any or none of the above?
David Berridge,
13-02-2009
- Canada
Why don't the ardent supporters of Wilders do something really brave and put the blame on the destruction of the Netherlands and other countries, on the shoulders of the bankers, where responsibility really belongs? They have done more to bring down Western society in a much shorter period of time than any Islamic terrorist group could ever hope to realize. Blaming the mainstream of Muslim populaces throughout the Western world for today's problems won't solve anything, and promises only to increase the risk of social instability over the long term. It is past time to start to look at the bigger picture before embarking on a path of even greater self-destruction.
Hiram,
13-02-2009
- USA
There is a big difference between Wilders and the Islamic extremists. The Islamic extremists are sending out the message to all faithful believers (those who are true believers in the adherence and observance of Islam) that a Holy War (Jihad) is required of them and their enemies are the non-believers. Wilders on the other hand is the person who stands in the World theater and sees the Jihadists arsonists setting fires througout the theater. He knows if something isn't done to stop the arsonists, the theater will burn down. Wilders, in contrast to the Jihadist, isn't telling everyone in the theater to go out and harm anyone, he is attempting to show those in the World theater that they are in danger. A very big difference between the two, Mr. Brad.
François,
13-02-2009
- Netherlands.
A coward is a person who goes along with the majority position and cannot stand up for the rights of others. Gordon Brown has been criticised for his decision and knew that the decision was a difficult one, but he stood firm against the tirade. He is the true hero in all of this. Standing up against xenophobia, radicalism and a white extremist in the name of Wilders was very courageous. If we were to make movies of the atrocities that the Dutch and other white people have committed during slavery and colonization and came to the Tweede kamer to show it and called all Dutch people racists what would the supporters of free speech say? I am sure we would never see the light of day and that's why it hasn't happened yet. Intimidation of another person's religion or freedom of worship is an affront against democracy and it cannot be hidden under the guise of freedom of speech. I have my own problems with radical elements of Islam but I know it is better to engage in an intellectual and civil dialogue. During the troubles in Northern Ireland the IRA a catholic paramilitary which committed terrorist acts did not lead to calls to ban the Bible and rightly so. As a catholic I knew that the IRA did not necessarily represent the catholic church or christianity for that matter. Wilders views are as extreme as Williamsons infact much more extreme yet some people keep supporting him. WILDERS IS truly the equivalent of HITLER. BE CAREFUL WHO YOU SUPPORT. Remember Hitler too rose on a wave of popular support.
Julie,
13-02-2009
- Curacao
Yet another great "publicity stunt" from Mr Wilders. Dutch politicians who have supposedly condemned the UK'sdecision should also wonder why their own country is
bringing Wilders to court for incitement of hatred.
sandra,
13-02-2009
- Nederlands
We should ban Brown and his labor ministers from coming to the Netherlands and other EU countries. Brown is a coward!
Brad,
13-02-2009
- Netherlands
Another hypercritical load of crap from Wilders. Only two weeks ago he was petitioning the Dutch authorities to not allow a Muslim extremist to come from the US to the Netherlands to speak and now he is lashing out at the British for doing the exact same thing to him!
I think I need to stop following the news about this fool because he just gets me too wound up.
