This is an example of an opposition politician on trial for speaking up against the government’s official policy.
Which is his job!
It’s built in to the title of ‘Opposition Party Leader’ – which he is. And if current pols are to be believed (yeah – I did say IF), he will be the next Prime Minister of the Neatherlands.
Did you catch that bit? The one where the only judge who criticized publicly a former court decision in Geert’s favour is now one of the three judges he faces in this case?
And that does not even scratch the surface of the selective enforcement of the law when it comes to the prosecution…
The rule of law in Western Europe is done, gone, lost… Let’s hope not for ever, but I’m not holding my breath!
EDIT: CodeSlinger has made a most excellent comment which I would like to add into the text of this post in its entirety:
Xanthippa:
Geert Wilders deserves our utmost respect. He is a man of courage and integrity. He stands before a court that has the power to impose severe penalties on him, and he rebukes them:
“Freedom of speech is the only freedom I still have. And, forgive me, I will never give it up. So I stand here again. And I honestly think it is a disgrace that I have to stand here.”
And he is right. It is a disgrace.
However, the disgrace is not that the rule of law has broken down, but that it has become absolute.
The disgrace is that the law has broken free of all moral restraint and lost all contact with the ideas of right and wrong.
The disgrace is that the concept of crime has become divorced from the concept of sin.
Consequently, the law has become an instrument of oppression.
Ask a typical Westerner to define right and wrong, and you will get back definitions of legal and illegal. You will hear that rules of conduct are established by decree or consensus, and whatever is against the rules is wrong.
But this is exactly backwards. Right and wrong cannot be determined by decree or consensus.
Just as rights are inherent in our nature, so are wrongs.
A religious man would say these things are given by God.
But the crucial realisation is that these things are not given by man.
Once we lose sight of that truth, the perversion of the rule of law – as epitomized by the persecution of Geert Wilders – is inevitable.
But it is not limited to Europe. It is rampant everywhere in the West.
Indeed, CodeSlinger, indeed!
I realize this is coming a little later, my apologies. Going out to see Geert Wilders live was so exciting, it has taken me a few days to regroup…
Vlad Tepes has posted some excellent videos. Here is his interview with Geert Wilders.
Just came home from the National Arts Centre in Ottawa from an evening with Geert Wilders.
Ezra Levant introduced him in his wonderful, bigger-than-life style.
The next speaker was a most excellent, engaging speaker – and, thanks to Kaffir Kanuck who ‘jogged my memory, I can now tell you his name. It was none other than Rabbi Jonathon Hausman, who came up from Boston for the event, and he shared his experiences with Islam and the dhimmitude of our elected officials and the government bureaucrats, south of the border. His speech was prepared and delivered very well indeed – too bad the content told of so many sad and, yes, tragic things.
Then came the highlight of the evenig – Geert Wilders!
What can I say about it?
It was classical Wilders – we have all heard him speak or read his words. So, it was not unfamiliar territory! But, hearing him speak those words in person felt like being part of history…
During the short Q&A afterwards, I was most happy that he got asked about the one thing he is most infamously misquoted on: thecall for banning of the Koran… And, Geert Wilders DID get a chance to clarify exactly what his position is!!!
Though he is very often quoted as saying that the Koran should be banned, he has never said such a thing!
Rather, we are dealing with an ‘IFF’ siuation here.
‘IFF’ – for those who are not familiar with the expression – stands for ‘IF AND ONLY IF’.
In the Neatherlands, Hitler’s infamous book ‘Mein Kampf’ (which, by the way, translates as ‘My Jihad’) was outlawed under that country’s hate laws. All Wilders did was stand up and say to the legislators:
In other words – if and ONLY if!
This is not a demand for the Koran to be banned: it is a demand that laws be applied the same way, to everyone.
Not only is this stand moral and principled, it can be interpreted as ‘anti-banning-anything’!
Again, this is not a demand to ban the Koran – it is calling out of the moral relativism that applies laws selectively and a shaming of those who partake in it!
Geert Wilders truly is a hero!
Update: thanks to Kaffir Kanuck, the name of one of the speakers was added.
When: Tuesday, 10th of May, 2011, 7pm
Where: Ottawa
Cost: $20.00
There is also a pre-event, which costs $250.00, before the speaking one – but I suspect this is too expensive for us regular mortals…
More info is here – including info about evenings in London, Ontario (8th of May, 2011) and Toronto, Ontario (9th of May, 2011).
Update: this post has been modifed regarding the location of the event.
Just like BCF says:
Geert Wilders Needs Our Help Urgently
With four weeks to go before the general elections in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders and the Party for Freedom are now engaged in a life-and-death struggle against the forces of jihad. In the last couple of years Geert Wilders has emerged as the international symbol of the struggle against Islam.
The Party for Freedom (PVV) refuses government subsidy in order to remain independent. All other Dutch parties receive government money. Therefore, the PVV is facing a serious challenge in order to survive this election season. Dutch state television is engaged in a massive campaign to smear the PVV.
The Party for Freedom needs your help urgently. Every donation is welcome.
There is a Paypal button on the English-language site: www.geertwilders.nl
…
ING bank account of the Stichting Vrienden van de PVV in The Hague: 67.04.72.344(IBAN: NL98 INGB 0670 4723 44, BIC: INGBNL2A)
Postal address:
Postbus 20018
2500 EA Den HaagThere is a Paypal button on the English-language site: www.geertwilders.nl
Xanthippa's Chamberpot 