Geert Wilders Verdict - Not Guilty!

Image by Bosch Fawstin

A great day for freedom today (and freedom of speech). Dutch politician Geert Wilders has been cleared of all charges against him. In case you've been living in a cave, Wilders is the leader of the third largest political party (I believe) in the Netherlands. He has been very critical of Islam and the Islamization of Europe, even to the point of making a short film 'Fitna' that describes what the Koran actually says (quoting exact passages) and quotes by prominent Muslim extremists. He was brought up on charges of hate speech and could have been jailed if found guilty.

“I am delighted with this ruling,” Wilders said. “It is a victory, not only for me but for all the Dutch people. Today is a victory for freedom of speech. The Dutch are still allowed to speak critically about islam, and resistance against islamisation is not a crime. I have spoken, I speak and I shall continue to speak.”

The charges against Geert Wilders were that he had made statements that were intentionally offensive to Muslims; incited hatred against Muslims; incited discrimination against Muslims; and incited hatred of non-Western immigrants.

The Islamic supremacists who initiated the case told the Dutch dhimmi judges that the things Wilders said had led to a rise in discrimination and violence against Muslims. They had no proof, of course, of anyone committing any act of violence against any Muslim, or discriminating against any Muslim, because of anything Geert Wilders said. They just wanted to compel the Netherlands to enforce Islamic blasphemy laws.