11 February, 2009 | Leave a Comment
In yet another blow for freedom of speech and democracy courtesy of the British government, Dutch MP Geert Wilders has been banned from entering the UK. He was due here for a screening of his controversial film about Islam, which he was invited to show by a member of the House of Lords. EU citizens normally travel freely within the EU, which is what makes this ban outrageous. In response to this, the government has stated that “It will stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country.”
This kind of ban is very selective. The government is paranoid that anything critical of Islam will trigger off violent protests from radical Muslim groups and thus, they actively attempt to censor any speech that is critical of Islam. If I were Muslim, I would be offended that the government thinks Muslims are incapable of handling any criticism of their religion.
It is very dangerous when the government selects certain groups for protection from hateful speech, but not others. Perhaps Wilders’ film is nothing but hateful propaganda. I have no idea. But he should have a right to show it here, just as films criticizing other religions are shown here, just as Christian and Muslim clergy are allowed to preach hateful things about women and gays in their sermons each week, just as pornographers are allowed to show films that celebrate the degradation and exploitation of women, some of whom are underage and/or trafficked. I don’t see the government trying to ban pornographers from entering Britain. [And for the record, I don't think they should be banned, regardless of how much I hate them.]
German, French and Italian friends have told me that Britain is viewed as a police state by other countries in Europe and I’m starting to think that’s true. Despite the ban, Wilders is considering boarding the plane to London tomorrow anyway. He told Radio Netherlands: “I’ll see what happens at the border. Let them put me in handcuffs.” If Wilders is arrested, then the British government will have made him a martyr, which is exaclty what he wants. It will only fuel his anti-Islam campaign and he will have even more supporters because of it. As someone who supports freedom of speech, I hope he does push this confrontation with the authorities. Seeing a Dutch MP and filmmaker arrested on British soil will perhaps be the wake-up call many people need.
**update** Apparently, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, who has banned Wilders from Britain, last May approved a visit to Britain by the spokesman for Hizbollah. See this article in the Telegraph. Unbelievable!
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Ken Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 3:00 pmAnglofille:
It’s an overstatement to call the UK a police state. Plainly, if it were your blog would be shutdown and you’d be kicked out of the country.
It is fair to say that the pathetic Labor government has shown great contempt for what they used to call traditional British liberties.
The UK is a surveillance state. The government has trampled upon habeus corpus, freedom of speech. Tony Blair never bothered to conceal his contempt for the freedoms that the world always thought made the UK great.
But put the Dutch MP aside for a moment. The British Government allowed the cops to raid the House of Commons. This was an incredible breach of Parliamentary privilege. They allowed a Tory MP to be taken into custody, all because he asked a question in the House (itself privileged) based upon leaked information. (Winston Churchill continually harassed the government this way in the 1930s, but they never had him or the leakers arrested). They raided the MP’s house, confiscated his computer.
So I’m not surprised by the Brits attempting to violate both the EU law by blocking free movement of a citizen engaged in legal activity, and violating the British Constitution by engaging in a form of back door prior restraint on free speech. Fortunately, this bunch will be gone next year at the latest. I don’t have to be there to see that Gordon Brown and Company are the deadest bunch of pols around.
I’m with you on free speech. I am skeptical of most so called hate speech laws, because they are ultimately very open to interpretation. Young people need special protection at times, because they are inexperienced and naive. Adults don’t. Where speech is concerned they have control of the “off” button and the right not to listen.
As one Supreme Court justice once said (Holmes?) your right to free speech ends when your fist reaches my nose. People have a right to say almost anything, but I readily agree that freedom doesn’t include incitments to violence or inducements to crime.
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SpliceGirl Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 5:02 pmThat’s disgusting, but predictable. I just want to point out that if it was the USA banning this film and not letting this filmmaker into our country we would be literally skinned alive in the press as terrorists who don’t believe in free speech. I haven’t heard one word about this story but that’s of course because it happened in Europe where everyone is loving, caring, tolerant, not bigoted, and not racist. Not like America where we’re all labeled as racist hillbilly evangelical christian freaks who can’t put two sentences together.
That said, Britain is turning itself into the new China where apparently all their citizens have to be told what to do and what they can watch. Maybe they will start monitoring and censoring Google soon too.
The only good thing about this story is that it’s just another obvious nail in the coffin for Britain. They are slowly digging a huge grave for themselves and the outcome is not going to be pretty. For either side. You should move soon Anglofille! Perhaps somewhere I would want to live too….
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Jan Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 5:10 pmMeneer Wilders is a moron (as are his (VB equivalents in Flanders), he gave a speech at my university when I studied in the NL, but banning him here is absolutely outrageous and bloody typical of this country. BTW his film is available online for free (unless this is something new I have not yet seen). Of course, though, if he were to lecture the UK government on the “evil” incarnate that exists in other religions, persuasions of political philosophies, he would be more than welcome
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Jan Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 5:13 pmSorry about typos. Yes, this is what I saw on youtube a couple of months ago.
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I just posted an update about how Home Secretary Jacqui Smith approved a visit last May from the spokesman for Hizbollah, yet she’s now banned Wilders. It’s really just unbelievable! I’m glad the Dutch government is vigorously protesting this outrage.
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Jan Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 6:48 pmBTW – should Ms Smith not be worrying about something else now, or is this just a smokescreen?
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Ken Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 8:46 pmJan:
From my political days I learned to apply Occam’s Razor. Never introduce more assumptions than one needs. Or keep it simple.
Jacqui Smith, as Home Secretary (no analogous position here in the USA) has been a craven, dishonest toadie. Therefore, I conclude the explanation is that she is a craven, dishonest toadie who will not defend English Liberty against its enemies, foreign and domestic. As Home Secretary in the pathetic Labor Government she is, (as we lawyers are wont to say) on its face one of the domestic enemies.
Pols are the same the world over. Like cops. Pols have a way about being very clever about the trees and dumb as a box of rocks stupid about the forest. Remember that when you perceive a smokescreen. It’s often the ignorance and confusion of the pol you are watching.
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Jan Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 9:08 pmI am not sure I understand this comment. I was referring to the latest financial scandal starring Ms Smith.
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Ken Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 9:29 pmI apologize if I wasn’t clear. Don’t assume she’s very bright or very clever.The facts of her case in fact say she isn’t. Don’t assume this is a brilliant maneuver to distract attention from her little expense dodge.
I worked for a governor of our state. He was not the most likeable man on Planet Earth but he was smart. He would never have played this stupid little game. This is just petty chiseling.
And neither would she, if she was really smart. Just another stupid little grafter, remarkably like another grafter, Sarah Palin.
Jan, I’ve spent my entire adult life around people like Jacgui Smith. Don’t be fooled by the august title. She’s just another four flusher who got caught.
Don’t confuse cunning with intellect. The two traits are rarely found in the same human brain.
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Jan Says:
February 12th, 2009 at 3:09 pmA simple-minded but very recent update:
