Interesting Developments

UPDATE: Scroll down for a YouTube video from Pat Condell on the Netherlands and its wimpish government. h/t Downeast Blog

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Regular readers may recall the post were I copied verbatum two letters I had written about Geert Wilders. If not, go read it here.

One was to The Kingdom of the Netherlands Embassy in Ottawa and the other was to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Yesterday I received a response from the Embassy. Kudos to them for their quick reply. I will copy parts of it here for you to ponder, adding emphasis where I think it counts:

"Please allow me to explain what this case is and is not about.

The Court of Appeal in Amsterdam ordered the criminal prosecution of Mr. Wilders on 21 January 2009, for incitement to hatred and discrimination based on his statements in various media about Muslims and their belief. In addition, the Court considers criminal prosecution obvious for the insult of Islamic worshippers because of the comparisons made by Mr. Wilders between Islam and Nazism. The Dutch Public Prosecutor will follow the Court's order.

Last year the Dutch Government respected the decision of the Prosecutor to refrain from prosecution. Likewise, the Government will respect the Court's decision of 21 January. We respect the separation of powers in the Netherlands, as is the case in Canada.

Please be aware that Mr. Wilders has not been sentenced as yet. It is the Dutch penal judge who will render judgment in due course in a public criminal trial after having answered the question whether there is ground for a conviction, and if so, to which extent. The Government has always had a clear position on the content of Fitna, Mr. Wilders' film, in which violence is put on a par with Islam. The Government rejects his interpretation, and therefore regrets that the film was distributed. At the same time, the Government would like to underline that feeling insulted can never be an excuse for violence and threat. The Government is in favour of an open dialogue, in which everybody can refer to the freedom of expression. This freedom goes hand in hand with respect for everybody's deepest convictions."

Not a bad response, I suppose. It pays appropriate lip service to fundamental Western values, such as the rule of law and freedom of expression. But what is this bit about "the Government's" interpretation of and position on the content of the film, Fitna? Isn't that a betrayal of the impartiality they are trying to claim for themselves? Has the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands become one giant clone of Canada's Human Rights Commissions? Is this response not illustrative of some pretty blatant hypocrisy? I mean, do they want Dutch citizens to respect the deepest convictions of those who advocate violent Jihad??? I get the feeling they are experiencing some mighty hot pressure and are on the defensive, just like Canada's Human Rights Czars are. That might explain not only their quick response but the almost formulaic tone of the language. Like so many, they just cannot bring themselves to condemn violent Jihad and admit that its source is Quranic, which is the principle point Wilders tries to make.

Anyway, still no response from Harper's office. Perhaps he's trying to avoid dealing with my "pot calling the kettle black" assertion. Yo!! Mr. Harper. Get thee a backbone!

In any case, yesterday we also learn that Geert Wilders has been invited to speak "with members of the British Parliament, explaining to the Peers and MPs why he made Fitna and to engage in an open and frank discussion with them." Meanwhile, "Mr. Wilders received a letter from the British Embassy in The Hague [see below] saying that he is a “persona non grata” in the United Kingdom", to which Wilders responds "screw you, I'm coming anyway", and the "Dutch government has protested to the British government over the unprecedented barring of an EU parliamentarian by another EU country". I guess the Dutch government can't be all bad, but it seems the Brits are just cowering in fear:

"The meeting of Mr. Wilders and members of the British Parliament had originally been planned for 29 January, but was postponed. Lord Nazir Ahmed, a Muslim member of the House of Lords (Labour), had threatened to mobilize 10,000 Muslims to prevent Mr. Wilders from entering the British Parliament. Lord Ahmed boasted in the Pakistani press that the cancellation of Mr. Wilders’ visit was “a victory for the Muslim community.”"

God help the old countries and allow their men to develop balls at least half the size of those hanging from Geert Wilders.

The "highly offensive film" can be viewed here.

And now, have a listen to Pat Condell.



Anyway, have a nice day, everyone. Cowering submission may be coming to a theatre near you. Don't miss it.