Friday, January 29, 2010

A Dutch court is forced to compare Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' and the Quran

Good news, from the first sentence on.

From the Wall St. Jounral:

What started as a trial against Geert Wilders for alleged Islamophobia has nearly turned into its opposite: a historical case about the message of the Quran.

The Amsterdam court trying the controversial Dutch politician is now preoccupied with the question of whether this book, sacred to more than a billion believers, can be compared to one of the most vile publications in the history of Western civilization—Hitler's "Mein Kampf."

What could possibly go wrong?

In his writing and speeches, Mr. Wilders has found these two works to be similar in terms of their anti-Semitism and incitement to hatred, and has thus called for a publishing ban on the Quran similar to the one in place for "Mein Kampf." This is what triggered Mr. Wilders's prosecution for discriminatory and insulting remarks against Muslims and Islam.

The Dutch politician, though, denies having insulted Muslims. He insists his focus is on radical Islam and the Quran, which he considers to be not only a religious text but also a political pamphlet encouraging Muslims to discriminate against and, if necessary, kill Jews, Christians, apostates and other unbelievers. That's why Mr. Wilders claims the right to criticize and condemn Islam.

Following complaints brought by mostly Muslim and radical leftist activists, Amsterdam's district attorney in 2008 at first found no legal basis for prosecuting Mr. Wilders. Prosecutors were forced to change course only after an activist appeals court last year ordered Mr. Wilders's prosecution—basically condemning the politician before any trial could even begin and before Mr. Wilders had a chance to defend himself. The court's unusual intervention illustrates the Dutch confusion about the conflict between two essential rights: the right to free speech and the right to protection from discrimination.

According to polls, Mr. Wilders's Freedom Party, a libertarian-conservative movement with populist tendencies, is currently the most popular political party in the Netherlands. If elections were held today, Mr. Wilders would be a serious contender for the position of prime minister. Mr. Wilders's detractors are mistaken if they think a conviction would hurt him politically.

The trial is a win-win situation for him: If the court rules to restrict Mr. Wilders's right to free speech, many Dutchmen will interpret this as an effort by the politically correct establishment to limit the growing strength of the Freedom Party, which would widen its appeal to many voters. If, on the other hand, the prosecution fails to prove that Mr. Wilders has purposely insulted Muslims because of their religion, Mr. Wilders's views will be seen as vindicated. Again, he will gain politically.

More importantly, Mr. Wilders's prosecution may in the end inadvertently create a crisis between the Netherlands and the Islamic world. On trial is not so much Geert Wilders, but the Holy Book of Islam.

On Jan. 20, the first day of the case, Mr. Wilders's defense team presented the court with a list of expert witnesses. It is indicative of his strategy. The expert witnesses, a group of internationally renowned academics on the one hand and, on the other, radical Islamists (among them Mohammed Bouyeri, the killer of Theo van Gogh, and the influential Iranian Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, an outspoken anti-Semite and religious mentor of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinedjad), are requested to testify about the Quran's message and Mr. Wilders's comparison of the Quran to "Mein Kampf."

As Mr. Wilders stated on the first and, so far only, session in court, if his statements about the Quran and "Mein Kampf" are correct, he cannot be convicted for telling the truth. So Mr. Wilders's defense team will concentrate on the extreme and violent paragraphs in the Quran, and compare them to paragraphs in "Mein Kampf."

It looks to me like Wilders is using a brilliant strategy, and this trial will end up being not only a landmark in history, but a huge win for Infidels, no matter what happens.

12 comments:

Damien said...

Pastorius,

This Rocks!

Always On Watch said...

IQ al-Rassooli predicted exactly this on last week's The Gathering Storm Radio Show!

Pastorius said...

So, IQ is bullish on the trial too, huh?

Damien said...

WC,

The Jihadists can be stupid, as anyone else can, in fact their belief system itself is stupid. When people believe stupid things and act on them, they often do stupid things, very stupid things.

Anonymous said...

I think the koran should be put on trial.

when light is shone on evil it becomes hard to defend it. and the only ones left defending it can now be called out

Alexander Münch said...

I'm concerned about the Judge's safety...

If He/She, is suffering from terminal illness, He/She will not suffer for too long !...

Damien said...

Alexander Münch,

What do you mean if the judge is suffering from terminal illness he or she will not suffer for too long? Do you think that some jihadists will try to off the judge, is that what you are saying?

Alexander Münch said...

Damien,

Yap! And it is one long distance telephone call away!

Ring! Ring! KABOOOOOOM!

Epaminondas said...

Wonderful... I hope people here are paying SOME attention outside of us .. this trial is on the difference between freedom of religion and POLITICAL SPEECH AND PRACTICE, and the freedom of speech to engage in the discussion.

9:29 is not freedom of religion just because someone claims it is so and there are more such persons than some wiccan loonies trying to escape the IRS.

George Washington said...

Well the Quran is on trial when it is being compared with Hitler's Mein Kraft. The whole outcome will depend upon the veracity of the most onjectionable passages in Quran which Geert compares to Hitler's ideology.

I shall be waiting for the result anxiously. No doubt that it will be one of the most important and illustrious judgements of this millenium. It may change the whole course of the "Modern Civilisation" and the future History. let us wait and see.

I pray for the Truth to win by unfolding through this trial.

Dr. O. P. Sudrania

Anonymous said...

For a more clear and accurate item from the Dutch blogs themselves (and in English) try going to www.blootstellen.wordpress

Alyeria Brown said...

Hahaha! you guys are all such a big joke.