Keywords: The Netherlands, English, Geert Wilders, freedom of expression, hate speech, ethnicity, religion, resources for all, visual
Geert Wilders is the man who firmly held the right-wing monopoly in the Islam debate in the Netherlands. He is one of the best-known Dutch politicians. His views about Islam have offended Muslims and non-Muslims alike, within the Netherlands and around the world. And he’s released a controversial anti-Islam film, called Fitna, or “Strife” or “Ordeal” in Arabic. But just who is Geert Wilders, and what makes him tick? It’s said that the turning point in Wilders’ life came when he spent some time in Israel in the 1980s. To this day he maintains a strong bond with the country. Back in the Netherlands, he won a seat in parliament for the conservative VVD in 1998. He became party spokesperson on foreign policy. His colleagues were impressed by the breadth of his knowledge of the Middle East. His extreme views, particularly his concern about the Islamification of the Netherlands, were not yet in evidence. That began to change after 9/11. He left the VVD and started his own Freedom Party, which holds nine seats in the 150-seat parliament.
Link Fitna: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=216_1207467783
Link Beyond Fitna: http://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/beyond-fitna-released-watch-here/