Freedom of Speech tested

Nathan Davis
UNL Mechanical Engineer Major


Geert Wilders, a Dutch filmmaker, is finding his basic freedom, the freedom of speech, put into question. Wilders is a leader of the Dutch Freedom Party as well as a voice for freedom in the Dutch parliament.

In March 2008, Wilders released a revealing video on the Internet. “Fitna”, equates Islam with violence and the Koran with Hitlers book, “Main Kampf”. The release of this short 17 minute film has had certain Muslim groups up in arms.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, has gone so far as to promise a review of Iran's relationship with the Netherlands if Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders' work is shown.

"If Holland will allow the broadcast of this movie, the Iranian parliament will request to reconsider our relationship with it," Boroujerdi said, according to IRNA, the official Iranian news agency. "In Iran, insulting Islam is a very sensitive matter and if the movie is broadcasted it will arouse a wave of popular hate that will be directed towards any government that insults Islam.

Under great pressure from these Muslims, the Dutch Court of Appeals has ordered a criminal prosecution against Wilders. "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.

Columnist Mark Steyn went on trial in Canada in 2008 for “Islamophobia.” For Wilders this consisted of directly quoting the Koran, reporting the statements of Muslim organizations and their supporters, and drawing obvious conclusions. Although Steyn won his case, Canada currently has laws in effect against free speech: It is illegal to speak against homosexuality and many pastors who resisted are now in jail.

One of the leading groups trying to eradicate free speech in the west is the the Organization of the Islamic Conference. According to Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary general of the OIC, the group has already targeted the United States. "We have established an OIC group in Washington, D.C.," he announced recently, "with the aim of playing a more active role in engaging American lawmakers." Ihsanoglu also gave us a warning: "In confronting the Danish cartoons and the Dutch film 'Fitna,' " he said, "we sent a clear message to the West regarding the red lines that should not be crossed."