Alex Massie Alex Massie

Geert Wilders is Not a Hero

Several readers take me to task for not substantiating the suggestion that Geert Wilders is, as I put it, a “boor and a bigot”. This, apparently, is a “shoddy tactic” and absent any substantiating evidence I should “withdraw the comment” and, asks Francis, is Wilders “really worse than your average Socialist”? Wilhelm, meanwhile, wonders if I’m taking my cues from what I saw on “the lefty BBC
and Channel 4 news?” This last notion would, I think, surprise long-time readers.

The answer is that Wilders is not a poster-boy for free speech, largely because he would seek to deny that right – not privilege, right – to those whom he disapproves of himself. People who advocate banning books are poorly positioned to declare themselves champions of freedom of expression and should not be considered such.

That said, I think the government has handled this case appallingly. Wilders is much happier playing the role of martyr (his supporters would doubtless call him Cassandra) than than anything else.Why give him that opportunity?

Is he a bigot? Well, what would you call someone who compared the Bible to Mein Kamp and demanded it be banned? Would you find the suggestion that anyone who reads the Bible is a fascist anything other than a statement of bigotry? Well Wilders wants the Koran banned (link to an article in Dutch) “just like Mein Kampf is banned”. He further argues that “moderate Islam does not exist” which will doubtless be news to all those muslims around the world who have not taken up arms and have no intention of doing so. If all muslims are extremists one does have to wonder why there have been so few, not so many, terrorist attacks.

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