Thursday, June 23, 2011

Dutch Court Acquits Wilders of Inciting Hatred; Rules Comparing Islam with Nazism Not Inciting

The Washington Post website reports today (June 23, 2011)that a Dutch court has acquitted politician Geert Wilders of inciting hatred against Muslims, when he compared Islam with Nazism and called for a ban on the Quran.

The ruling did lay down a clear limit: Calls for violence remain out of bounds.

Wilders -- who has lived under constant police protection due to death threats since 2004 -- has never called for violence or endorsed it.

Presiding Judge Marcel van Oosten said some of Wilders' comments -- such as saying foreign influences are "breeding" in the Netherlands and threatening to overrun Dutch culture -- may be "crude and degenerated." But he said they did not amount to inciting hatred.

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