Geert Wilders Quotes
It is a travesty that I have to stand trial because I spoke about fewer Moroccans.
Wilders, Geert. "Closing Statement at Hate Speech Trial." Schiphol Judicial Complex, The Netherlands, 23 Nov. 2016.
Just days before September 11. While in America, such a remark would just be considered an insensitive and inappropriate utterance, in France, he was brought before the courts and threatened with jail and a large monetary fine under a 1972 French law which bans hate speech. See {595311}
He was referring to the charge that Richard A. Clark, Chief of Counterterrorism, had politicized the 9-11 investigations. In reality, while the hearings had been apolitical, after he testified, there were massive attacks on him by the Republicans and then massive defenses by the Democrats and the hearings had indeed been politicized. It is noteworthy however that the Commission itself remained bi-partisan in its procedures and votes.
Geert Wilders is a Dutch businessman and politician. He has been Leader of the Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid – PVV) since he founded it in 2006. Wilders is the parliamentary leader of his party in the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer). In the 2010 formation of the Rutte cabinet, a minority cabinet of VVD and CDA, he actively participated in the negotiations, resulting in a "tolerance agreement" (gedoogakkoord) between the PVV and these parties, but withdrew his support in April 2012, citing disagreements with the cabinet on proposed budget cuts. Wilders is best known for his criticism of Islam and the EU; his views have made him a controversial figure in the Netherlands and abroad, and since 2004 he has been protected at all times by armed bodyguards.
