ID :
190967
Sat, 06/25/2011 - 08:25
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Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/190967
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Wilders' acquittal set to deepen tensions with Dutch Muslims
Berlin, June 25, IRNA -- The acquittal of Dutch Islamophobic politician Geert Wilders on charges of inciting racial hatred and discrimination against Muslims will further deepen tensions with the Dutch Muslim community.
Dutch Muslim leaders feel the verdict will only embolden Wilders and other Dutch racist politicians to further instrumentalize anti-Muslim feelings in the Netherlands for their own narrow-minded political objectives, essentially ending the Dutch dream of a multi-cultural society.
Farid Azarkan of the SMN association of Moroccans in the Netherlands said he feared the acquittal could further divide Dutch society and encourage others to repeat Wilders' comments.
'You see that people feel more and more supported in saying that minorities are good for nothing,' Azarkan said.
'Wilders has said very extreme things about Muslims and Moroccans, so when will it ever stop? Some will feel this as a sort of support for what they feel and as justification,' he added.
Although Wilders whose Freedom Party (PVV) is the third largest political party in the Netherlands, has called his acquittal verdict a 'victory for freedom of opinion', Dutch Muslims fear that this could further unleash anti-Muslim sentiments within Dutch society which in the past had portrayed itself as being tolerant and open-minded.
Reacting to the controversial verdict on Wilders, Dutch Muslims have openly voiced 'disappointment.'
The court's decision can not be appealed in the Netherlands because the prosecution had called for his acquittal, according to Polly van Dijk, a spokeswoman for the Amsterdam court.
Wilders' case has been helped by an extremely reluctant prosecution, which last month again asked for his acquittal, saying that although his comments may have frequently triggered anxiety and insult, they were not criminal as they criticized Islam as a religion and not Muslims as a people.
As a consequence, several human rights organizations and plaintiffs have reportedly vowed to take the Wilders' case to the UN Human Rights Council or the European Court.
Filing a lawsuit in the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council could open a legal process against the Dutch government for not doing enough to protect its own citizens from hate speech.
'The acquittal is a violation of the right of minorities to be protected from inciting hatred,' one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs, Ties Prakken was quoted as saying.
Prakken's remarks were underscored by Mohamed Rabbae of the National Council for Moroccans.
'The acquittal means that the right of minorities to remain free of hate speech has been breached. We are going to claim our rights at the UN.'
A leading Dutch human rights activist, Suzette Bronckhorst said earlier that whatever the outcome of the Wilder's trial was, the case would also be forwarded to the European Court.
Talking to IRNA, Bronckhorst pointed out that Dutch Muslims were being subjected to discrimination as well as verbal and physical attacks on a daily basis.
She expressed concern that the overall situation of Dutch Muslims would 'get worse.'
Bronckhorst pointed out many incidents involving Muslims are not being reported in the Dutch media.
Critics of the Wilders verdict are afraid it would open the floodgates for a massive wave of anti-Islam insults and attacks which could lead to further serious tensions within the Dutch society.
Henri Sorelea who is another lawyer representing plaintiffs in the Wilders trial, emphasized he was very disappointed at the outcome.
He added the verdict would now allow 'clever people' to openly break the law.
'The court has decided that someone who can use language in a very clever way is allowed to use terms which are against the law.'
Sorelea went on to give an example from the judge’s summary, in which the judge said a statement Wilders had made could on its own be considered incitement to hatred, however in the context of the rest of the article in which it appeared, it did not violate the law.
The Wilders' verdict also comes against a backdrop of questionable plans by the center-right Dutch government to radically shift away from a multicultural policy towards a tougher stance against migrants in that country.
Human rights activists have highlighted the fact that there is a 'real sense of fear' among Dutch Muslims which is expected to be further exacerbated.
'There is a real sense of fear in the Muslim community. It's terrifying to see this from the Netherlands. We used to be such a nice country,' Bronckhorst was cited as saying.
Asked if the Wilders' political phenomena was only temporary, she replied, 'I am hoping it will pass, I am afraid not very soon ... We are struck with this for the next 10 to 15 years.'/end
Dutch Muslim leaders feel the verdict will only embolden Wilders and other Dutch racist politicians to further instrumentalize anti-Muslim feelings in the Netherlands for their own narrow-minded political objectives, essentially ending the Dutch dream of a multi-cultural society.
Farid Azarkan of the SMN association of Moroccans in the Netherlands said he feared the acquittal could further divide Dutch society and encourage others to repeat Wilders' comments.
'You see that people feel more and more supported in saying that minorities are good for nothing,' Azarkan said.
'Wilders has said very extreme things about Muslims and Moroccans, so when will it ever stop? Some will feel this as a sort of support for what they feel and as justification,' he added.
Although Wilders whose Freedom Party (PVV) is the third largest political party in the Netherlands, has called his acquittal verdict a 'victory for freedom of opinion', Dutch Muslims fear that this could further unleash anti-Muslim sentiments within Dutch society which in the past had portrayed itself as being tolerant and open-minded.
Reacting to the controversial verdict on Wilders, Dutch Muslims have openly voiced 'disappointment.'
The court's decision can not be appealed in the Netherlands because the prosecution had called for his acquittal, according to Polly van Dijk, a spokeswoman for the Amsterdam court.
Wilders' case has been helped by an extremely reluctant prosecution, which last month again asked for his acquittal, saying that although his comments may have frequently triggered anxiety and insult, they were not criminal as they criticized Islam as a religion and not Muslims as a people.
As a consequence, several human rights organizations and plaintiffs have reportedly vowed to take the Wilders' case to the UN Human Rights Council or the European Court.
Filing a lawsuit in the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council could open a legal process against the Dutch government for not doing enough to protect its own citizens from hate speech.
'The acquittal is a violation of the right of minorities to be protected from inciting hatred,' one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs, Ties Prakken was quoted as saying.
Prakken's remarks were underscored by Mohamed Rabbae of the National Council for Moroccans.
'The acquittal means that the right of minorities to remain free of hate speech has been breached. We are going to claim our rights at the UN.'
A leading Dutch human rights activist, Suzette Bronckhorst said earlier that whatever the outcome of the Wilder's trial was, the case would also be forwarded to the European Court.
Talking to IRNA, Bronckhorst pointed out that Dutch Muslims were being subjected to discrimination as well as verbal and physical attacks on a daily basis.
She expressed concern that the overall situation of Dutch Muslims would 'get worse.'
Bronckhorst pointed out many incidents involving Muslims are not being reported in the Dutch media.
Critics of the Wilders verdict are afraid it would open the floodgates for a massive wave of anti-Islam insults and attacks which could lead to further serious tensions within the Dutch society.
Henri Sorelea who is another lawyer representing plaintiffs in the Wilders trial, emphasized he was very disappointed at the outcome.
He added the verdict would now allow 'clever people' to openly break the law.
'The court has decided that someone who can use language in a very clever way is allowed to use terms which are against the law.'
Sorelea went on to give an example from the judge’s summary, in which the judge said a statement Wilders had made could on its own be considered incitement to hatred, however in the context of the rest of the article in which it appeared, it did not violate the law.
The Wilders' verdict also comes against a backdrop of questionable plans by the center-right Dutch government to radically shift away from a multicultural policy towards a tougher stance against migrants in that country.
Human rights activists have highlighted the fact that there is a 'real sense of fear' among Dutch Muslims which is expected to be further exacerbated.
'There is a real sense of fear in the Muslim community. It's terrifying to see this from the Netherlands. We used to be such a nice country,' Bronckhorst was cited as saying.
Asked if the Wilders' political phenomena was only temporary, she replied, 'I am hoping it will pass, I am afraid not very soon ... We are struck with this for the next 10 to 15 years.'/end
