.... There was then a heated exchange with reporters standing on chairs at the back of the room, craning to get a look at him over the forest of microphones, about whether he should also have called for the Bible to be banned, given that some Christians were terrorists.
That was not his argument at all, he told the reporters, although his attempt to elucidate further was drowned out by more questions. He denied his call for the Koran to be banned had been an affront to free speech. "Even in the United States, where they have a first amendment, there is one red line, which is the incitement of violence and this was exactly my point," he told reporters. [BBC] Read more
An Own Goal? How on earth do protesters complaining about a visit by anti-Islamic scaremongering Dutch MP, Geert Wilders think they’re countering his message by, according to the BBC, chanting “Wilders go to hell” and waving placards saying “Sharia for the Netherlands” and “Islam will be superior”. Other chants and placards said “the Muslims will be dominant” and “we want Sharia law”, as well as “free speech go to hell”and “freedom can go to hell”. [Harry’s Place] Read more
Wilders' Welcome It was good to see that Geert Wilders made it to Britain today. Not because he contributed anything to the public debate. Not because he is right. Not even because his presence here heaped yet more humiliation upon the appalling Jacqui Smith - though it would probably have been worth it for that alone.
But because February's decision to ban him was an international disgrace. It made Britain look simultaneously timorous and repressive. For a country that has traditionally prided itself as a home of free speech, it was embarrassing. As embarrassing, in its way, as a super-injunction. [Heresy Corner] Read more
Geert Wilders is back and causing trouble The Dutch politician Geert Wilders has been let into our shores. Let him, I say. The guy is an offensive idiot but he should be debated. However, I doubt that Wilders will take up invitations by Quilliam Foundation or the Oxford Islamic Centre to debate because it would be easy to expose him.The ITN video shows a protest by Muslims, but fails to mention that it’s a stunt by the publicity-seeking extremists from al-Muhajiroun nutjobs. Shoddy journalism. [Pickled Politics] Read more
