Geert Wilders, leader of the right-wing Freedom Party, has been cleared of charges of discrimination and hate speech by a Dutch court after publicly expressing his disapproval of Islam.
The politician was charged with five counts of incitement to hatred for his controversial statements about Islam, which he made between October 2006 and March 2008 in website articles, speeches and his 17-minute film “Fitna” (meaning “Discord” in Arabic).
Mr Wilders argued that his comments were lawful, as they were aimed at the teachings of Islam and not specific members of the Muslim community, stating that he was "obliged to speak" as the country was "under threat" from Islam.
Judge Marcel van Oosten ruled that Mr Wilder’s remarks “although gross and degenerating ... did not give rise to hatred" and were "acceptable within the context of public debate."
The Dutch court rejected the claims of minority groups that Mr Wilders' comments had incited violence against Muslims, concluding that the statements should be a legitimate part of the continuing debate over multiculturalism in The Netherlands.
Mr Wilders said he was "incredibly happy" with the ruling, commenting that:
"It's not only an acquittal for me, but a victory for freedom of expression in the Netherlands.
“Fortunately you're allowed to discuss Islam in public debate and you're not muzzled in public debate. An enormous burden has fallen from my shoulders."
In response to the news, Andrea Minichiello Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, said:
“The Dutch Court is perfectly right to maintain that Mr Wilders’ comments about Islam are acceptable within the context of public debate.
“Many countries in Europe are coming to terms with the rise of Islam at this time and it is necessary for the debate to happen in a forum that is capable of handling robust discussion.
“Europe’s democracies have a long history of this kind of open discussion and this is a tradition that must be preserved.”
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Dutch MP Geert Wilders in Court following comments on Islam