Why I Am In America Fighting for Free Speech
By Geert Wilders | 04/29/09 | 06:41 PM EDT | 21 Comments
Freedom of expression is under attack. This is a theme I am addressing here in America this week as part of the Free Speech Summit being held in Florida under the sponsorship of the Florida Security Council. And it is clear that a serious discussion of the threats to our freedoms in the West cannot come too soon.
For example, my friend Rep. Adam Hasner, the majority leader of the Florida House of Representatives was attacked in a press release issued by the national office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Monday for daring to appear at a private event with me this past weekend. Because of that appearance, CAIR is demanding that Rep. Hasner step down or be removed from his position.
This attack on a friend and fellow legislator is of grave concern to me. CAIR’s assault on Rep. Hasner strikes at the very heart of our most basic freedoms. In fact, it is but the latest episode in that organization’s long-running and determined effort to silence its critics. Indeed, CAIR seeks to suppress all those who dare to challenge the theo-political-legal program that authoritative Islam calls “Shariah.” In so doing, they are seeking to impose what amount to Shariah blasphemy codes.
It is especially important to note that Adam Hasner is not only being attacked for comments he made that are deemed offensive by those who seek to impose Shariah in America. His career is now being threatened for comments made by others in his presence – in this case, by me. Thus the Islamists are infringing not only on this country’s constitutionally protected freedom of expression but also freedom of association.
If a high-ranking public official – elected by the people and appointed to his leadership position by his peers – cannot speak honestly and openly about his concerns, and do so in places and the company of his choosing, without fear of suppression or other retribution, who among us is safe?
I know these threats firsthand. Even before the international release last year of my short documentary film, Fitna, I have faced constant death threats and protests. My name has appeared on assassination lists. I have been subject of an Al-Qaeda death fatwa. I will be charged with blasphemy and contempt of Muslims by Jordanian prosecutors. I face prosecutions in my own country and elsewhere. I was recently banned from the United Kingdom because the Home Secretary believed my mere presence in the country constituted a national security threat.
In this trying time let us recall that in the darkest hours of World War II, when the world faced a global threat from German Nazism, Italian Fascism and Japanese Imperialism, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill challenged his people to rise to the occasion and fight. He told them, “Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
This is why I am in America this week talking about the fight we now must wage in the West to defend our liberties. Freedom of association is one of the basic liberties guaranteed not only by the US Constitution but by the European Convention of Human Rights. And yet CAIR wants to silence and punish Rep. Hasner for associating with me. If America needs a poster child for the threat to our freedoms from Islamic extremism, no better example than CAIR could be found.
This episode underscores that the threat to freedom posed by creeping Shariah imposed by CAIR’s type of stealthy jihad is not just a problem in the Middle East, or Europe. It is also a problem in America.
I will not be bullied by Islamic thugs who want to use our freedoms to destroy those very same freedoms. And I will not stand by as they seek to do it to others.
Founded and directed by members of the international network of the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR has an explicit agenda to subvert our freedoms and impose Islamic Shariah law on non-Muslims. This is not speculation on my part. This is the testimony of one of CAIR’s founders and chairman emeritus, Omar Ahmed, who told a California audience in 1998 that this was their agenda. “Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant,” he said. “The Koran, the Muslim book of scripture, should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth.” When CAIR officials say that this is their ultimate objective, we should believe them.
In just the past few weeks, the Council on American Islamic Relations has sought to silence another courageous lawmaker, Rep. Peter King, the ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee in the US House of Representatives. His “offense”? Rep. King correctly observed that CAIR and other Muslims were not providing enough assistance to the law enforcement authorities in combating terrorism-related activities in American mosques.
CAIR has attempted to silence other critics, as well. They have sued bloggers; they have defamed journalists who have asked too many questions about their terrorist ties; and they have tried to intimidate publications that have published articles challenging their putative “civil rights mission.” If they get away with it, CAIR will seek to threaten the careers of more politicians with the courage to say things and associate with those of challenge Shariah and the effort to impose it in this country.
It is utterly hypocritical that, on the one hand, CAIR claims to be defending freedom of religion in attacking Rep. Hasner when, on the other, they actively seek support from Islamic regimes that are among the worst of the worst human rights abusers on the planet – and notorious for suppressing religious freedoms.
I have been told that in an Arabic News article that CAIR officials have solicited and received financial support from Saudi Prince Al-Walid Bin Talal, whose country outlaws any religious expression except its own Wahhabi strain of Islam. You can’t even own a Bible or wear a cross in the country run by their patrons, and yet CAIR wants to lecture us about religious freedom?
The land for CAIR’s Capitol Hill office in Washington D.C. was purchased with a $250,000 donation from the Saudi-backed Islamic Development Bank and the deed to their headquarters is held by the foundation of United Arab Emirates Defense Minister Gen. Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum. Sheik al-Maktoum’s country prohibits any non-Islamic religious proselytizing and threatens anyone caught with distribution of non-Muslim religious literature with imprisonment.
In September 2006, CAIR hosted an exclusive dinner with former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami. Under Khatami’s regime religious minorities were severely persecuted, non-Muslims were regularly harassed, and hundreds of student protestors murdered. The fact that CAIR chose to honor this dictator who is still a senior member of the Islamic theocracy in Iran tells us much.
Whether it is in America or back home in my own country, we are under attack by groups like CAIR who aim to silence their critics. This is why I am here in America. I aim to continue to fight regardless of the threats and intimidation and I am asking Americans to join with us. And when they attack good men like Rep. Adam Hasner, we must realize that they are attacking each and every one of us and the freedoms that we hold dear.
Geert Wilders is a member of the Dutch Parliament and Chairman of the People’s Freedom Party.
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21 Comments | Related Topics »Sarasota County (FL) | National
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Geert Wilders--truth speaker!!! GREAT job getting him here at Red County!!!!
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|better watch out red county or cair's attorneys will be coming after you soon. espcially if i call them a bunch of thugs here or something. thugs.
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|Great to see Geert Wilders on Red County. This guy tells it like it is and has the guts to stand up and battle those who seek to undermine our way of life.
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|I saw Geert speak California. He is inspiring!
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|God bless you for your clarity and courage, Geert. Many folks don't know this, but CAIR is an organization that many moderate Muslim groups detest.
In most cases, CAIR plays the victim. In reality, it's usually the aggressor regarding frivolous litigation, as it attempts to undermine responsible democracy and liberty.
CAIR harps on the values of cooperation, freedom, justice, peace, and tolerance, but it wants those virtues only on its own terms. If CAIR can't take the heat of legitimate criticism concerning Islam and certain Muslim behaviors, then get out of the kitchen. If the folks at CAIR were secure in their faith, they wouldn't try to silence people of all faiths who speak the truth.
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|Geert is my hero
May he live happily, long and prosper
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|... Rx: www.ActForAmerica.org .... let's roll.
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|Geert recently spoke at Chapman University in Orange and will be back in So Cal again in June at the Reagan Library. He has sacrificed more for freedoms that we take for granted than we can even conceive. He speaks with a voice of authority about incremental Sharia impositions on a western culture and is here to warn that the process has begun in the United States.
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|Geert is an idiot. his speech is very flawed. many of his examples are stupid and make no sense unless you're a stone headed moron.
you guys really should stop being afraid of something that is way too small to effect anything. most people realize that the "theat" of terrorism is contained.
GET OVER IT!
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|enough said!!
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|the verses you presnted are severly out of context, incomplete, and biasly rephrased.
also, the word "fight" does not necessarily mean carrying weapons. for example: fighting cancer; fighting hunger; etc.
are you going to take follwoing words from the bilible : "I come not in peace but with a sword" literally, without actually understanding the context? you shouldn't.
Islam is a religion and not a cult. you can start being a little more realistic and stop blaming muslims for everyhing that has gone wrong in your life. do you worry why they hate us in the middle east? becasue we bomb the hell out of them and killed so many innocent families.
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|Dear Anonymous,
I am a Dutch citizen and living and working in the Netherlands where, if elections to be held today, the party of Geert Wilders will the largest!
Why? Because Dutch citizens are fed up with the growing influence of Islam here in the Netherlands where even the established parties in politics are adjusting local laws to the local Musilms. I always was proud to be a Dutch because we are used to say anything about anybody, what you call freedom of speech in the US. Islam and Freedom (of Speech) are two opposites! There is NO freedom in Islam.
So Geert Wilders is warning us for the future (in the Netherlands already the present) of total domination and submission by Islam of the "unbelievers".
By the way: my believe is also that ALL religions are the cause of so much problems in the world.
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|ChrChristian Milord is right: Islam is a fabricated faith, spun from threads of ?Christianity, Judiasm, Zoriastrianism and paganism. Muslims, knowing this, are loathe to see and hear it exposed.
I call your attention to UUmdat as-Salik Book O, the BoBook of Justice.
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|The free exchange of ideas in the west is the bedrock of liberty. That freedom has been faltering for some time now. From blogs inAustralia shutting down to citizens being arrested in Europe for expressing an opinion, the left has consistently silenced their own citizens while allowing radicals to spew their hateful venom. Radical Islam has nearly conquered Europe and is diligently working on taking over the U.S.
Mr. Geert Wilders is now under attack by radical Islamists who do not wish the truth to be told about them. Thank you Mr. Wilders for standing up to the radicals who seek to steal freedom from the peoples of the West. It takes real courage to walk the path you have chosen and I salute you for your efforts in defense of liberty.
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|What's the difference between CAIR and the comrades in Congress
who just passed the "hate crimes" law on behalf of homos?
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|My mom always used to tell us, her 6 kids, how lucky we were(still are) to live in a Free Country (CANADA) and USA. I know in my hearth that this GREAT COUNTRY will NEVER submit to "Allah" and Sharia Law.
Geert Wilders is a Courageous and Wise Leader that is Warning America of what Liberal, Conservative, Completely to the Left, Completely to the Right, Religious or non- Religious Individuals will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER wish for their children and grand children to be dealing with, such as what Europe is now experiencing with a fast growing Muslim polulation. And the next 10, 20, 50 years can only be a Nightmare come true for the UK, France, Netherland..... TAKE HIS WORDS SERIOUSLY! Italy is getting the idea, NOW (the first to Wake Up, with calling for no more Immigration, and no more Mosques closer than one mile from Churches, Stop Loud Speakers calling for Muslims to pray 6 times/day, and most important, they are not concerned about being politically correct and are surveilling and investigating Mosques activities.)
More and more people take Action and join any 1 or more Anti- Islamist Organizations such as " ACT for AMERICA". It's Nationwide and is affiliated with many other similar Organizations. You can start a Chapter in City, County. You may learn more about Islamic extremism by listening to the Radio, go to: www.RadoJihad.org
9/11, "soft Jihad" and what I have learned so far about Islam (Religion, Political, Social, War, Terrorism, Teaching of Hatred and the Call to Kill Innocents for ALLAH), Oh and what is with the "throat slashing"?.., really if you are Muslim and are just moving from an Strict Islamic Country/State, I just have one advise: CHILL OUT FROM NOW ON, TAKE THOSE ATROCIOUS CHAINS OFF AND ENJOY, LIFE IS GOOD!
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|I am a Muslim.
I am disturbed with Fitna not the less but with the reactions of UK's Lord Ahmed and CAIR the more. They robustly proved Geert's point. Fitna is a trash of irresponsible cut/paste of an ignorant and there is no art in it. It could be more meaningful to show how Muslim-leaders failed to harvest human welfare from the Quran and cashed on contextually violent verses. Fitna is unethical because it is to punish, not to correct. Furthermore, You cannot do justice to a faith of 1.3 billion believers in 10 / 15 minutes.
Geert is especially correct about the nature of CAIR and likes. What West must know and resist by public awareness is that Sharia is not a benign law book. It is malignant thrust to create global theocracy that was never Islam’s intent. CAIR and likes are resourceful and cunning brokers of Sharia law. They already succeeded in getting support of many politicians, intellectuals, judges and even religious leaders.
In this critical juncture people like Geert will probably be doomed and take a gem of human civilization with them; Freedom of speech.
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|You cannot correct Islam, the Koran,
the words of it's prophet Mohammed,
and therefore GOD.
You can't possibly be a Muslim if you don't know that.
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|Our support and prayers are with you. Stand strong. Jehovah, Yeaweh, Jesus is the answer. Tim http://bijenkforf.wordpress.com
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|he is a very intelligent man with a clear speech, every word he says is 100% the truth and he do not cair abouth the treats to be killed by this fanatic idiots.
The other Organisations in Europe, they see also clear the danger of this crazy Idiologie founded by a skizophrenic multy-criminal called Prophet 1500 Years ago and they are figthing the Islamisation of Europe, shout found a international European political party tougether with Geert Wilders Freedomparty of the Nederlands , so they could fight togeter the Islamisation , what would be the worst katastrophic event of human history ever,worse then the domination of the Nazi 70 years ago.
Geert Wilders is the Churchill of our time, most of the other politicians wordwide are the Chamberlins , apeasers ,they feed the Islamic crokodile, hoping they will be the last, the crokodile will devour.
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|IT'S ALL TRUE..Europe is going down..fast.
Wilders is the only one standing trying to save some of it.
If it's not already far to late.
I say just kick all immigrants out..not just Muslims.
the best way would be to kick out the old so called politicians first.
They caused it all..we must get rid of them first.
To hell with them..those ignorant idjids.
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