A Dutch appeals court has ordered the prosecution of a right-wing politician on charges of inciting hatred against Islam.
Geert Wilders is the leader of the right-wing Freedom Party, which holds nine seats in the Dutch Parliament. The party has steadfastly opposed immigration from non-Western nations and rejected the presence of Islam in the Netherlands.
In 2008, he released a short film entitled
Fitna, sometimes translated in Arabic as a "test of faith in times of trial", portraying Islam as a violent philosophy and a threat to the Netherlands. He had earlier called for the banning of the Muslim holy book, the Qu'ran, comparing it to Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf".
The
judgment overrules an earlier decision by the public prosecutor against a criminal trial.
"The Amsterdam appeals court has ordered the prosecution of member of parliament Geert Wilders for inciting hatred and discrimination, based on comments by him in various media on Muslims and their beliefs," the court said in a statement.
"In a democratic system, hate speech is considered so serious that it is in the general interest to... draw a clear line," it added.
Dismissing his statements as "one-sided generalizations", the three judges said they had found that he had gone beyond the limits of freedom of speech.
"The court also considers appropriate criminal prosecution for insulting Muslim worshipers because of comparisons between Islam and Nazism made by Wilders."
Wilders was dismayed by the court's ruling, calling it an "attack on the freedom of expression", adding that all those opposed to the "Islamisation of their country would [also]be on trial."
"Participation in the public debate has become a dangerous activity. If you give your opinion, you risk being prosecuted. Who will stand up for our culture if I am silenced?"
Gerard Spong, a lawyer who supported his prosecution, praised the court's decision:
"This is a happy day for all followers of Islam who do not want to be tossed on the garbage dump of Nazism," he told reporters.
