The trial of the Islamist insulting Dutch politician Geert Wilders continues today in Amsterdam. After a 24 hour delay, the court decided not to comply with Wilders' demands, namely that the presiding judge be replaced.
Previously, Wilders demanded that the judge be replaced because he was deemed not objective in leading the trial. However, according to the professor of politics at Leiden University, Rudy Andeweg, Wilders' demands yesterday were his tactics to make court proceedings a political arena.
"He's trying to turn the court into a podium for his political activity. He really enjoyed the attention. "He wanted a political court but the judge didn't grant it," he was quoted as saying The Christian Science Monitor.
Andeweg said the judge had acted right in not giving Wilders special treatment. Wilders was charged with insulting Islam by equating Al-Quran with a book that Hitler wrote entitled Mein Kampf (My struggle). Wilders also said that Islam is a fascist religion. Wilder's statement is accused of inciting hatred against Islam.
If convicted, Wilder will be sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of 7.600 euros, or around Rp.91,6 million.
Wilders is Europe's most famous anti-Islam politician. He is said to be the heir to the ideology of Pim Fortuyn, an anti-Islam politician who was assassinated in 2002. Wilders' popularity increased as he tried to tackle numbers of foreign immigrants, especially Muslim immigrants, from entering his country.
Wilders' Freedom Party took third place in last June's election. This means that he has the opportunity to participate in government. Wilders has agreed to support a new conservative government, led by the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, VVDD).
The new government is expected to follow Wilders' recommendation to prohibit immigrants from outside the West from entering the Netherlands. The plan to ban wearing the burka is also high on the agenda. (Mel / Viva News / ddhongkong.org). *
