The one thing that has most stuck in my craw, about the recent controversy over the Center for Vigilant Freedom's Counter-Jihad Conference being sponsored by the Vlaams Belang, is that VB's leader, Filip DeWinter, seems to have a special affection for French National Front Leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen. Indeed, DeWinter has a photofraph of himself, with Le Pen, which is prominently displayed on his bookshelf in his very own living room.
The prominent essayist Fjordman is also none too happy about DeWinter's affiliation with Le Pen, and thereby, Fjordman questions the wisdom of CVF associating themselves with DeWinter.
Today, I noticed that Christine at Center for Vigilant Freedom has posted an interview wherein DeWinter addresses this issue. Check it out:
Q: You are said to have on your desk two pictures in which you are shaking hands with Le Pen and Haider. Why display those two photos? What does it say about you that you have selected those two pictures to highlight on your desk?
A: Such photo’s exist of course. But they are not on display in my office.
We have contacts with Haiders en Le Pens parties. On issues as immigration, we even have common ground. But we don’t like Haiders kowtowing for dictators as Saddam Hoessein or Khadaffi.
We don’t like Le Pens typically French views of centralisation, we don’t like his anti-Americanism and we absolutely don’t like his anti-Jewish provocations. Just as almost all French politicians, he has this disastrous illusion that it’s France’s destiny to have a special, privileged relation with the Islamic world.
This explains the French’s biased political position against Israel. This explains their alliance with Saddam Hoessein, their support of Khomeini when he was preparing to topple the shah.
Le Pen shares this views, and we don’t like that at all. He is not the monster the leftists say he is. But I am not identifying with him. We are certainly no holocaust deniers. In Belgian parliament we supported the law who punishes holocaust denial. Recently we even published an article in our party magazine about Raoul Wallenberg, who saved ten of thousands of Hungarian Jews.
In our party magazine, we repeatedly denounced arsons against synagogues and violence and racist insults against Jewish people, even when most of the mainstream press kept silent about this, because the perpetrators were Muslim youths.
That’s an indication too: our party is very strong in Antwerp. We have more than 100,000 voters there. There were many attacks against Jews in Antwerp: a car bomb, a grenade attack on a school bus with Jewish children, some murders and attempted murders, and many, many cases of harassing, insult and intimidation. But the perpetrators were invariably Muslim youths or foreign Muslim terrorists.
In thirty years, not one of our militants ever committed even one anti-Semitic act. These are not empty words. These are facts. You can check them. Ask the Jews in Antwerp. This is at least a strong indication that we are no anti-Semites.
Mr. Marinower says we are evil guys, just pretending to be decent right-wingers. People can play a misleading role for some years. But is it possible that tens of thousands of people play a misleading role for almost thirty years?
Ok, he certainly makes good points. However, his answer that,
"Such photo’s exist of course. But they are not on display in my office..."
is an obfuscation. True, the photo is not in his office. Instead, the fact is, the photo is displayed, as I said, prominently in his living room. Here, watch this video:
If he has nothing to hide, then why the obfuscation?
Today, I noticed that Christine at Center for Vigilant Freedom has posted an interview wherein DeWinter addresses this issue. Check it out:
Q: You are said to have on your desk two pictures in which you are shaking hands with Le Pen and Haider. Why display those two photos? What does it say about you that you have selected those two pictures to highlight on your desk?
A: Such photo’s exist of course. But they are not on display in my office.
We have contacts with Haiders en Le Pens parties. On issues as immigration, we even have common ground. But we don’t like Haiders kowtowing for dictators as Saddam Hoessein or Khadaffi.
We don’t like Le Pens typically French views of centralisation, we don’t like his anti-Americanism and we absolutely don’t like his anti-Jewish provocations. Just as almost all French politicians, he has this disastrous illusion that it’s France’s destiny to have a special, privileged relation with the Islamic world.
This explains the French’s biased political position against Israel. This explains their alliance with Saddam Hoessein, their support of Khomeini when he was preparing to topple the shah.
Le Pen shares this views, and we don’t like that at all. He is not the monster the leftists say he is. But I am not identifying with him. We are certainly no holocaust deniers. In Belgian parliament we supported the law who punishes holocaust denial. Recently we even published an article in our party magazine about Raoul Wallenberg, who saved ten of thousands of Hungarian Jews.
In our party magazine, we repeatedly denounced arsons against synagogues and violence and racist insults against Jewish people, even when most of the mainstream press kept silent about this, because the perpetrators were Muslim youths.
That’s an indication too: our party is very strong in Antwerp. We have more than 100,000 voters there. There were many attacks against Jews in Antwerp: a car bomb, a grenade attack on a school bus with Jewish children, some murders and attempted murders, and many, many cases of harassing, insult and intimidation. But the perpetrators were invariably Muslim youths or foreign Muslim terrorists.
In thirty years, not one of our militants ever committed even one anti-Semitic act. These are not empty words. These are facts. You can check them. Ask the Jews in Antwerp. This is at least a strong indication that we are no anti-Semites.
Mr. Marinower says we are evil guys, just pretending to be decent right-wingers. People can play a misleading role for some years. But is it possible that tens of thousands of people play a misleading role for almost thirty years?
Ok, he certainly makes good points. However, his answer that,
"Such photo’s exist of course. But they are not on display in my office..."
is an obfuscation. True, the photo is not in his office. Instead, the fact is, the photo is displayed, as I said, prominently in his living room. Here, watch this video:
If he has nothing to hide, then why the obfuscation?
Now, I would like nothing better than to believe that the Vlaams Belang is a party full of Freedom-loving counter-Jihadis like all us perfect people here at IBA.
;-)
But, you know what? I don't have any pictures of myself with David Duke sitting on my mantle.
At the very least, one would think that, as a prominent politician in a major Western country, DeWinter would have the sophitication to understand that he must distance himself from the likes of Haider and Le Pen. But, DeWinter possesses no such sophisitication.
Therefore, one must wonder why it is that the Center for Vigilant Freedom would believe this man to be a worthy ally?
6 comments:
I was in Antwerp last month. The city square was magnificent, filled with ancient buildings and a cathedral.
Filip De Winter makes a strong verbal argument that his heart is in the right place. I would like to believe him. However, that picture of Le Pen and the Odin's Cross in his bookcase tells me to be wary here.
Another great article from Infidel Bloggers Alliance!
Thanks, Stogie. I value that compliment. It's been a hard few weeks.
:)
They should ALL STFU.
Every new explanation makes it all worse and worse.
If they are not white supremacists using politically convenient tools at hand, they will have to demonstrate that, and just saying we support Israel is complete BULLSHIT, since I am certain that they think Israel's deisre to maintin itself as a jewish state is the same (kind of) battle they are fighting. Thus they think they can kill the racism claim, and blah blah yadda...what's the difference?
These guys were unquestionably stomped on in a disgusting authoritarian fashion by the Belgian govt.
But every single time they try to explain the wreaths, the pix, the statements, every interview, article .... in the end to believe they are some libertarian cultural defenders of the flemish minority engaged in obliterating Sayd Qutb's legacy to preserve freedom for all one has to believe ALL the explanations.
ALL
Maybe they will be chastened by this, and realize that some things are not politically possible. Frankly that's good enough for me. I don't care if they are George Wallace once removed if they understand they can't BE that and survive politically. I don't require happy thoughts. I require the deeds when it time to vote and act.
Is anyone else as sick of this as I am?
I don't know if I can reasonably say I'm sick of it if I am still bringing it up as an issue which needs to be discussed.
I do feel that I am sick of it, but every time I see another one of these assertions, which seem to pale in light of fact, I feel the need to post it here for the sake of archiving reality.
In my opinion, this issue must be worked out.
Not all Germans were bad people in Nazi Germany. Instead, the Nazis got elected with 35% of the vote and then gradually the direction of the German people was determined by their success in enacting their policies.
Eventually, the German people just kind of went with the rest of their fellows.
If we do not work out this problem now, a similar thing could happen with the counter-Jihad movement.
As it is our common goal that the counter-Jihad movement eventually becomes the majority in Western Civilization, it is important that we eliminate racism right at the start.
I think you would agree.
Every time I try to get out they pull me back in.
IMHO, it can't be worked out.
If Dewinter was serious in calling for white europe and white flanders, what is there to discuss?
They're racist pigs, and people making allies with them are standing in the school house door right along with Ross Barnett. Maybe even with Byron De La Beckwith.
That's it.
Short of a Walid Shoebat walking out of VB telling us they ARE white supremacists, what can we learn that will not come without an 'explanation'? And another and another.
Ironically I don't believe a majority of germans were 'ok'. I'm with Daniel Goldhagen on that one, so I am DEEPLY troubled by calls to ally with people who DO display the Celtic Cross (with an explanation), lay wreaths at an SS cemetary(with an explanation), call for white europe (with an explanation), cal for white flanders (with an explanation), tell us if their daughter marries a muslim they know they brought their daughter up wrong (with an explanation), have pix of racist SCUM (with an explanation)....UGH.
Because of reasoning just like mine, to my knowledge, no one yet who has started leaning one way or the other on this, has had his or her mind changed.
No one will.
Therefore unless we are willing to see TWO movements come out of this, only bad things can come out of this going on and on.
Maybe that's what will have to happen.
I won't be a partner to a bunch of people who are willing to act as white supremacists any more than I would the Black Panthers, the La Raza aztlan morons, or the Soros jackasses of Moveon.
If the choice is to be between white supremacists and Qutbite muslims, I'll make a third choice.
FUCKEMALL
Well, I am damned sick of the entire controversy.
Still, I can't let it go.
I accept that Europe's political matters are Europe's political matters and that they don't need advice and analysis from us across the pond.
I don't accept that we are incapable of understanding Europe's politics. Might take reading and time, but we are not stupid.
I accept that a dire situation may require a dire solution with regard to political alliances.
I further accept that the counter-jihad has several branches.
BUT more than once, US military force and US lives have been needed to extricate Europe from a mess of its own making.
AND the left doesn't need any more ammunition to use against counter-jihadis.
I don't think that this issue is going to be worked out, however. I'd like to be wrong about that, and I could well be.
Most of all, I don't like the cannibalization which has been proceeding apace the past few weeks. Wack-a-mole is a game, and not one I like to play in real or virtual life, when it comes to serious matters.
Post a Comment