Defend Geert Wilders and Freedom of Speech

January 22, 2009 - Washington, DC and Copenhagen, Denmark: A Dutch court yesterday ordered the criminal prosecution of Geert Wilders, Dutch parliamentarian and leader of the Freedom Party (PVV), for his statements - written, spoken and filmed -regarding Islam. The Amsterdam Court of Appeals has deemed such statements “insulting,” declaring that they “substantially harm the religious esteem” of Muslims.

Clearly, the effect of this Dutch court order is to set new limits to public debate in Dutch society, in this case about the highly controversial but nonetheless crucially important subject of Islam. This makes the prosecution of Geert Wilders an unacceptable breach of the sanctity of freedom of speech in Western society.

Having ordered a criminal prosecution for the opinions of a duly elected leader of a legitimate political party, Dutch authorities have dealt a devastating blow to political expression. While Dutch prosecutors prepare their indictment and Geert Wilders’ future hangs in limbo, who in The Netherlands will dare discuss political and cultural matters related to Islam - Islamic law, Islamic integration, Islamic crime, Islamic policy - openly, freely and fearlessly? The chilling effect is instantaneous. If, indeed, Wilders is ultimately convicted, free speech will cease to exist in the heart of Europe.

The International Free Press Society believes this court-ordered prosecution against Geert Wilders, a central figure in the fight against the Islamization of the West, amounts to a dangerous concession to the strictures of Islamic law, which prohibits all criticism of Islam, over Western traditions of, and rights to robust and unfettered debate. As such, it is tantamount to a surrender to totalitarian influences that undermine all Western freedoms. And as such, it must be resisted.

It is important to recall recent history. Two Dutchmen, Pim Fortuyn and Theo van Gogh, have been murdered for their outspoken opposition to Islamization in The Netherlands. Another Dutch politician, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, has been infamously forced into exile. Wilders alone now carries this debate over Islam in Dutch society forward - forcefully but logically, outspokenly but reasonably, and always peacefully. In order to do so, this member of Dutch parliament lives in a virtual prison, consigned to 24-hour guard by Islamic death threats against his life. Now, Dutch authorities have ordered him to be prosecuted for the Orwellian crime of committing “insulting” words.

As Wilders puts it, “If I have to stand trial, I will not stand trial alone, but also with the hundreds of thousands of Dutch people who reject the Islamization of The Netherlands.” He will also stand trial with those in The Netherlands and beyond who reject government prosecutions of free speech. In recognition of this dire situation, the IFPS immediately calls on every supporter of free speech to come to the aid of Geert Wilders. To assist in this effort, the IFPS has launched an international campaign in defense of Geert Wilders and his freedom of speech.

To support these efforts, we urge you to contribute to the Geert Wilders Defense Fund. Donation information can be found at the IFPS website at http://www.internationalfreepresssociety.org.

Obama’s Lead Narrows From Six to Four Points

It is still anyone’s race to win according to a Reuters political news report. A Zogby poll placed Obama’s lead at 48% to McCains 44%. That would equal a decrease of two percentage points. However, the two point drop does not signal an official shift. McCain still has much to repair within his campaign which is largely out of touch with the majority of American voters. Right now, our biggest concern is the economy. It is no secret that the economy is not McCain’s strong point nor that of the republican party. What is needed is an administration who can combine prior knowledge with the needs of Americans on “Main Street.” These “Main Street” voters include independents, women of all races, and minorities. It should not be a surprise that Obama enjoys a significant lead over McCain among those groups. There is also evidence that McCain is not as strong among traditional republicans as a GOP candidate should be. With only four weeks left, we still cannot be sure who will come out on top.

Six Algerians Imprisoned For Breaking Ramadan Fast

The Algerian constitution guarantees citizens the right to freedom of conscience. That didn’t stop the Biskra court from sentencing six men to four years in prison for the horrible crime of breaking their fast early. Ramadan is a tradition in which devout Muslims refrain from food, drinking, smoking, and sex from morning until evening. The fast is broken by eating a special meal called iftar. In addition to the prison sentence, the men were ordered to pay the equivalent of $1300 (1,000 euros).

To help secure their possible release, visit Women Living Under Muslim Laws

For more information, visit Al-Arabiya

Outrageous Happenings

Austria’s Fascist Renewal

A young dark-haired blue-eyed Austrian with fascist ambitions rises through the ranks. Does that sound familiar? It is quite understandable if it does. However, we are not talking about Adolf Hitler but his possible reincarnate Heinz-Christian Strache. Not only is he the charismatic leader of the far right Freedom Party, but he is a mentee of the party’s former leader, Jörg Haider. Before we draw conclusions on the ideological posture of Strache, there is one pivotal question that must be asked. How can a country that should have learned from the horrors of World War II vote 18% in favor of a party susceptible to fascism? Together with Jaider’s Alliance for the Future of Austria taking 11% of the votes, it amounts to 29% supporting far right ideologies. Keep in mind, the nation in question is Hitler’s homeland. Therefore, it has to be said that Austria itself is susceptible to reverting back to the sentiments of its most notorious son. If that were not the case, neither the Freedom Party nor the Alliance would have gotten the second highest number of votes combined.

The percentage of votes may sound like very little until you put them in perspective. Here are the results including other political parties:

The Social Democrats, a centrist party, won approximately 30% of the votes along with the election itself.

The conservative People’s Party took 26%

The Freedom Party took 18%*

The Alliance for the Future of Austria, 11%*

These numbers alone tell us that in Austria, fascist principles are second only to centrist ideals. Therefore, the world should be vigilant.

Should we be concerned about Strache? We are talking about a man who calls Muslim women who wear the burka female ninjas. There are also claims that he insults homosexuals in his spare time. The accusations do not end there. He is a man believed to be closely tied to neo-Nazis. He does of course deny any such link. The primary evidence at this time appears to be a picture of Strache giving a three finger Nazi salute. He defended himself by claiming it was simply of picture of him ordering three beers. That “evidence” itself cannot tell us if this man is in fact a Nazi. Further observations of his actions as a politician will.

Is Faith Reliable?

Why does a person need faith? If a thing were based on certainty, would we need faith? A person does not need faith to believe that the sun will rise the next day. Even if that person dies, the sun will still rise. There is clear and verifiable evidence for the sun. On the other hand, people need faith to believe in God. Why is that? Is there not proof that a God exists? If so, is this God the Christian God? Fundamentalist Christians certainly believe so. What proof do they have? Their assertion is based on faith. But what is faith? It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. That belief leads to pivotal questions. People hope for things they do not have. It is logical to conclude that what they do not have does not necessarily exist. Similarly, if you cannot see something, does it really exist? You cannot know it exists if you do not see it. Faith is hope in essence.

The problem is, hope does not always come to fruition. If one is honest, they will acknowledge that hope is sometimes empty. On the other hand, experience is full. We know that the sun will rise tomorrow based on long-term experience. We know that death is certain based on experience. We also know that marriage and family is real based on the evidence of things seen. We are not certain of the existence of a deity because we have not seen him/her. Does that mean evidence does not exist? To some, evidence is the bible and religion itself. The problem is, we also have the Quran, Hindu and Budhists texts, and also paganism. How does one determine which of those paths are correct? The true path is the one that is provable. The tangible world is provable.

Gottex Spring 2009 Collection

Images curtesy of Atelier Creative Services, Inc.

 

 

 

Daughter Of Vice Presidential Candidate Is A Teenage Mother To Be

Bristol Palin, the 17 year old daughter of VP candidate Sarah Palin, is 5 months pregnant. She is engaged to marry the father who is identified as Levi. We cannot deny that it is a wonderful show of conviction to have the child instead of having an abortion. But is it a wonderful example of family values or abstinence education? One should think not. What we are seeing here is the blatant hypocrisy of the right.  There should not be any doubt how they would react if this were either or the Obama girls, Biden’s children, or Chelsea Clinton. Where is their outrage? Out rage is only reserved for the left.

Plane Crash In Madrid

Vacationers bound for the Canary Islands met a terrible fate instead. Spanair Flight JK5022 crashed upon takeoff killing 153 people. One can only imagine how distraught the surviving family members must have been. Only 28 people are known to have survived.

The Dark Night Would Make An Unforgettable Night!

Do you enjoy movies that integrate action, psychological terror, and fantasy? If so, your $10.50 would be well spent on The Dark Night. It was a bit on the longish side, but excellent nonetheless. Heath Ledger gave a unique authenticity to the Joker that hasn’t been seen before. I’ll go as far as saying that his performance was superior to Jack Nicholson’s. Nicholson’s Joker was funny as opposed to Ledger’s character being maniacal. It was that contrast that made Ledger’s Joker logical and truer to life. Christian Bale took on the character of Batman with such ease that he made the super hero seem realistic. His Batman wasn’t just out to save Gotham, he was out to save a basic moral principle…integrity. A sign of good acting is when the actor can make you forget about who they are in real life. Both Ledger and Bale met that challenge. The well put together lineup also includes Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Micheal Caine. Overall, this seemed like a more serious crime drama than the previous Batman movies. Is that the result of good writing or good casting? You be the judge.

Video Courtesy of wmdeez

Thumbnail image courtesy of Eye of Einstein

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