The Martyr from the Netherlands
This week, the trial against Geert Wilders, the most popular politician in the Netherlands, is starting. He stand accused of hate speak against Muslims. If he is found guilty, we will all be be in lots of trouble, writes Stian Bromark.
Muslims are invading Europe. Islam is a fascistic terrorist religion. The Quran is just like "Mein Kampf". Thus sounds Geert Wilder, the oracle from Haag, parliamentarian and leader of the xenophobic Party for Freedom. On Wednesday this week, his trial will begin. Wilders stand accused of spreading hate messages against Muslims in several statements during the last couple of years, including the movie "Fitna", which portrays Muslims as terrorists. If he is convicted, he risks up to two years in prison. The repercussions of a potential judgment will be felt all over Europe.
Who is the most important person in Europe today, asked the conservative American commentator Daniel Pipes on Tuesday. The answer? Geert Wilders. Polls show that he is now the most popular politician in the Netherlands and the Party for Freedom is poised to become the largest political party during the parliamentary elections next year. Wilders, according to Pipes, is the most able person to handle the challenges of multicultural Europe. "He has potential to become a person of world historical caliber." Nothing less. Wilders is charismatic, freely speaking and politically cunning. He manages to appear as a martyr for freedom of speech, even as he himself is trying to ban a book: the Quran. Wilders has the zeitgeist at his side. Ever since the Netherlands experienced the murder on film director Theo van Gogh in 2004, carried out by Mohammed Bouyeri, the previously so tolerant Dutch people have turned around 180 degrees and assumed an implacable stance towards immigrants and Islam. And Wilders leads the way.
The trial will be watch closely by everyone which have invested intellectual capital in the destiny of multicultural Europe. Wilders is, after all, an elected politician. He would be immune if his sharp comments had come from the speakers chair in parliament. Now there is actually a chance that he will be found guilty, as the Netherlands has a legislation that for instance bans the publishing of Hitler's Mein Kampf. Wilders' supporters cries "freedom of speech", but Wilders himself is going even further. He wants to call several witnesses to the stand and ask them to answer one question: Is what I am saying true, or is it false? If what I'm saying is the truth, then can I be sentenced for telling the truth? If Wilders gets acceptance for his demands, then we will experience an exceptional trial.
Many people would sacrifice their left arm to ensure that Wilders continued to be a curiosity in Dutch politics. And he would have, if it did not happen that European immigration debate has stopped caring about facts, and instead concentrates on symbols. When the TV networks refused to show "Fitna" (which by the way contained music by Grieg), it became much more important for people to watch the 17 minutes long brown filth of terrorism images and Quran-quotes on the Internet. When Wilders was denied entry into Great Britain in February 2009, he rose a few notches in the polls. Now he is about to receive his martyr status. If the Party for Freedom ends up being the largest party in the Netherlands, it will probably need coalition partners to instate a government. A miracle is needed for Wilders' party to get a majority by itself. If he is convicted, there is a chance that that is exactly what the Dutch court is offering him on a silver plate.
Freedom of speech has a price. It is a price we must pay every time we hear something we don't like. The same goes for tolerance. If we are going to surpass the level of party speeches, it must be used when it hurts the most. Democracy is no less tricky: One thing is that Geert Wilderes has completely horrifying opinions; what happens when many or — Allah forbid — a majority of the Dutch voters offer him absolute power? If these values are going to continue to have a positive chime, then his opponents are forced to keep their fists in their pockets, pray to higher powers (i.e. Voltaire) and ask Wilders critical questions in the public space.
). Secondly, we live in a free country, which is kind of like a European country, but you can say nearly whatever you feel without threats of lawsuits. Indeed USA is number 1.
