DUTCH PARLIAMENTARY LYNCH MOB

Dutch parliamentarian Sybrand van Haersma Buma accuses Geert Wilders of cowardice because he refused to attend a debate about freedom of expression and freedom of religion in the second chamber.


"Here is where it will be decided how far one may go with offensiveness", according to a peevish Haersma Buma, "if you always have an opinion about that outside the chamber, you should also have the guts to defend that here. I think that it is really cowardly to now walk away from the debate about this".

[Quote in Dutch: "Hier wordt bepaald hoe ver je mag gaan bij het kwetsen. Als je daar buiten de Kamer voortdurend een opvatting over hebt, moet je die ook in de Kamer durven verdedigen. Ik vind het echt laf dat hij nu wegloopt voor het debat hierover."
Source: http://www.ad.nl/binnenland/2134098/lsquoLaffersquo_Wilders_ergert_Kamer.html ]


What's to debate?


I do not see how the issue can be argued, nor what use discussing it will have. There are laws that permit Mr. Wilders to criticize religion, irrespective of who, or what group of who, feels itself insulted. Dutch laws on this matter are pretty specific (lèse-majesté is pretty much the only exception to freedom of speech - they're still a monarchy over there). Either these laws maintain, or, as several politicians wish, they are abrogated, and with them democracy in the Netherlands.


Geert Wilders may say what he thinks about the Quran, and unless his fifteen minute video-polemic against that book actually advocates violence or criminal acts, it should be shown to everyone that wants to see it. There is no defensible argument for banning it, nor is there any morally justifiable reason that Mr. Wilders should be kept from voicing his opinions.


It is only the worry about possible reactions by the Muslim world that prompted this desire to debate and attempt to curtail ancient liberties. The very real danger that inflamed Muslim mobs will attack Dutch diplomatic offices and businesses, or lynch Dutch citizens traveling abroad, has put such gutless fear into some Dutch politicians that they are willing to toss the fundamentals of democracy out the door.

Freedom of speech (and freedom FROM religion) is the very basis of Dutch independence - the revolt against Philip of Spain was sparked by the execution of Egmont and Hoorne in 1568 for speaking their minds. The eighty years war that followed was for rights which are now considered fundamental to democracies and open societies. To put limitations on what over four centuries ago was so hard won, which has subsequently been proven just and worth winning by every western society since, is to dishonour every generation of Dutchmen since that war, and devalue everything that the Netherlands has represented as an independent nation.

Frustrated commisars who would limit liberty have no business walking the halls of power in a democratic society. It is up to the Dutch people to recognize that, and remove these traitors from office.


A few months ago someone accused the Netherlands of being 'onafwendbaar laf' (irrepairably chickenshit). A mob of quislings in the second chamber, come together for a bully session, would indeed make it so.

At present, only one man keeps the accusation that the Netherlands is irredeemably gutless from being true. That man is the parliamentarian accused of cowardice by Sybrand van Haersma Buma.

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Note: this posting is further to Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders, his polemic film against the Quran (which has not been shown yet), and the attempts by Dutch politicians and prominenti to forestall Muslim rage by caving in.
[Please see previous relevant postings by clicking the labels 'Fitna' and 'GeertWilders' underneath this post.]

I do not see eye to eye with Mr. Wilders about Islam, but I absolutely support his right (and his duty as an elected public servant) to speak his mind, and to speak out against what he sees as a danger to society. If the Muslims outside the Netherlands do not like what he has to say about the Quran, tough - they may go do something obscene to themselves with that bloody book; whatever happens in the Netherlands is really none of their damn' business and unless they can speak about it in Dutch to the Dutch, they really should shut their traps. If the Muslims INSIDE the Netherlands don't like it, they should counter-argue Mr. Wilders. Either these matters are fully open to debate, or Mr. Wilders is right, and we are at war with a repressive ideology bent on destroying us.

In either case, Mr. Wilders must speak.