Thursday, February 12, 2009

Dutch politician Geert Wilders lands at Heathrow despite ban over anti-Islam views

Torygraph says,'Dutch politician Geert Wilders, the right-wing Dutch politician banned from entering the UK over his anti-Islam views, has landed at Heathrow.

Mr Wilders was told he could not come to Britain on public order grounds Photo: EPA
He was invited to Westminster to show his 17-minute film Fitna, which criticises the Koran as a "fascist book", by a member of the House of Lords.
But on Tuesday he received a letter from the Home Office refusing him entry because his opinions "would threaten community security and therefore public security" in the UK.
Mr Wilders, a member of Holland's Freedom Party, condemned the British Government as "weak and cowardly" and vowed he would make the trip anyway.
He left Amsterdam on a BMI flight at lunchtime, a party spokesman said.
The aircraft touched down at London's Heathrow Airport at about 2pm.
BMI refused to confirm that Mr Wilders had booked a flight with the airline, citing data protection laws.
A spokesman said only: "We are obliged to observe Government-enforced travel restrictions. If they are imposed, we are duty-bound to abide by them."
It is understood that the controversial politician's passport will be flagged up at Heathrow immigration and he will be refused entry to Britain at that point.
Mr Wilders has urged the Dutch government to ban the Koran and warned of a "tsunami" of Islam swamping the Netherlands.
His film sparked violent protests around the Muslim world last year for linking verses in the religious text with footage of terrorist attacks.
He has launched an appeal against an Amsterdam court's order that he should be prosecuted for hate speech.
Mr Wilders said he had already shown his film to Denmark's parliament and would take it to Italy and the US House of Representatives in the coming weeks.
He told the BBC: "I was very surprised and very saddened that the freedom of speech that I believe was a very strong point in UK society is being harassed today."
Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said the government of the Netherlands would press for a reversal of the travel ban.
UK Independence Party peer Lord Pearson, who invited Mr Wilders to Britain, said the screening of the film would go ahead today "with or without Mr Wilders".
In a joint statement he and cross-bench peer Baroness Cox said they were "promoting freedom of speech" and accused the Government of "appeasing" militant Islam.
They added: "Geert Wilders' Fitna film, available on the web, is not a threat to anyone. It merely suggests how the Koran has been used by militant Islamists to promote and justify their violence."
The Home Office said: "The Government opposes extremism in all its forms. It will stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country, and that was the driving force behind tighter rules on exclusions for unacceptable behaviour that the Home Secretary announced in October last year."
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "Freedom of speech is our most precious freedom of all, because all the other freedoms depend on it.
"But there is a line to be drawn even with freedom of speech, and that is where it is likely to incite violence or hatred against someone or some group.
"Having watched Geert Wilders' movie Fitna, with its raw and emotional appeals to anti-Islamic feeling and its shocking images of violence, there is no doubt in my mind that he has overstepped the line that should be defended in a civilised society and that the Home Secretary's ruling is right."
A spokesman for the Conservative Party said it did not wish to comment.'

Shame on these dhimmis.

1 comment:

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