Geert Wilders: Just Who and What Is On Trial Here?

Dutch politician, firebrand, and outspoken critic of Islamism Geert Wilders has been on trial in the Netherlands for his strong stance against terrorism and creeping sharia law. The trial may be over soon, however, since the prosecutors have just stated that he is not guilty of discriminating against Muslims or inciting hatred against them.

The fact that he has been on trial at all raises a lot of questions. Holland of course is a free Western nation, and was once a strongly Christian nation, as was most of Europe. But a deep and thorough secularisation, along with the rapid expansion of Islam in Europe, has meant that the very concepts of Christianity, freedom and democracy are now on trial.

On the one hand we have a totalistic and fascist worldview which wants to dominate the entire world, compelling everyone to submit to Allah. On the other hand we have democratic nations that used to cherish freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of conscience.

But today it seems it is not the terrorists and totalitarians who are on trial, but those who seek to defend freedom, Christianity and the democratic West. In this upside down world we live in, those who argue for what made Europe and the West great, including its Judeo-Christian foundations, are the ones who must now defend themselves.

One of course may not agree with everything Wilders has said and done over the years. But we must nonetheless appreciate the fact that he is the good guy here. It is not he who should be on trial. Indeed, many do not know what Wilders actually believes or has said. He has delivered a number of powerful speeches over the last few years. One of his more famous talks was given in New York on September 25, 2008. Here I reproduce parts of this important speech:

America as the last man standing

I come to America with a mission. All is not well in the old world. There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic. We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West. The danger I see looming is the scenario of America as the last man standing. The United States as the last bastion of Western civilization, facing an Islamic Europe. In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: who lost Europe?…

All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim neighbourhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen. And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well. It’s the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands, or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead. With mosques on many street corner. The shops have signs you and I cannot read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity. These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These are Muslim neighbourhoods, and they are mushrooming in every city across Europe. These are the building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger portions of Europe, street by street, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, city by city….

A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe. San Diego University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now. Bernhard Lewis has predicted a Muslim majority by the end of this century. Now these are just numbers. And the numbers would not be threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as greater than their loyalty to France….

Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life. Islam means ‘submission’. Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is sharia. If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.

This is what you need to know about Islam, in order to understand what is going on in Europe. For millions of Muslims the Quran and the live of Mohammed are not 14 centuries old, but are an everyday reality, an ideal, that guide every aspect of their lives. Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam “the most retrograde force in the world”, and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran….

It is very difficult to be an optimist in the face of the growing Islamization of Europe. All the tides are against us. On all fronts we are losing. Demographically the momentum is with Islam. Muslim immigration is even a source of pride within ruling liberal parties. Academia, the arts, the media, trade unions, the churches, the business world, the entire political establishment have all converted to the suicidal theory of multiculturalism. So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islamization as a ‘right-wing extremists’ or ‘racists’. The entire establishment has sided with our enemy. Leftists, liberals and Christian-Democrats are now all in bed with Islam.

This is the most painful thing to see: the betrayal by our elites. At this moment in Europe’s history, our elites are supposed to lead us. To stand up for centuries of civilization. To defend our heritage. To honour our eternal Judeo-Christian values that made Europe what it is today. But there are very few signs of hope to be seen at the governmental level. Sarkozy, Merkel, Brown, Berlusconi; in private, they probably know how grave the situation is. But when the little red light goes on, they stare into the camera and tell us that Islam is a religion of peace, and we should all try to get along nicely and sing Kumbaya. They willingly participate in, what President Reagan so aptly called: “the betrayal of our past, the squandering of our freedom.”

If there is hope in Europe, it comes from the people, not from the elites. Change can only come from a grass-roots level. It has to come from the citizens themselves. Yet these patriots will have to take on the entire political, legal and media establishment….

Dear friends, liberty is the most precious of gifts. My generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with their lives. All throughout Europe American cemeteries remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose memory we cherish. My generation does not own this freedom; we are merely its custodians. We can only hand over this hard won liberty to Europe’s children in the same state in which it was offered to us. We cannot strike a deal with mullahs and imams. Future generations would never forgive us. We cannot squander our liberties. We simply do not have the right to do so.

This is not the first time our civilization is under threat. We have seen dangers before. We have been betrayed by our elites before. They have sided with our enemies before. And yet, then, freedom prevailed. These are not times in which to take lessons from appeasement, capitulation, giving away, giving up or giving in. These are not times in which to draw lessons from Mr. Chamberlain. These are times calling us to draw lessons from Mr. Churchill and the words he spoke in 1942: “Never give in, never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy”.

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2010/10/wilders_not_guilty_of_inciting.php
http://europenews.dk/en/node/14505

[1357 words]

21 Replies to “Geert Wilders: Just Who and What Is On Trial Here?”

  1. Thanks Bill. I have been thinking a lot about our upside down world. Illusion is presented as reality, bondage is presented in the name of freedom, exclusion is presented as ‘social inclusion’ – what can we say except ‘Go Geert!’ So few that are not blinded.
    Vickie Janson

  2. Yes Bill, George Otis warned of the rise and rise of Islam in 1991 in his perceptive and revealing book “The Last of the Giants: Lifting the Veil on Islam and the End Times”, particularly in the uncanny play of events since then. I remember talking to other Christians about it back then and the lack of interest shown was very revealing. Given the weight of evidence that has unfolded, it seems not too much has changed.
    Garth Penglase

  3. Thanks Bill. Geert Wilders is so bold and couragous to speak out. This sort of person should be greatly honored to speak the truth.
    My greatest desire & prayer is to see many people even among the Muslims bros and sis & the Jews, that Jesus will personally showed up himself to them and they will be transformed and know the truth and that the truth will set them free!!!
    We pray that Jesus who is our healer will protect & look after you and your family.
    Blessings,
    Molly Lim

  4. There is much worry over daily reports of Iran developing a nuclear bomb and so there should be. However something more dangerous than a nuclear bomb facility, which could be taken out with a missile strike, was the introduction of two words, formerly irregularly used in our daily lives, but now constantly on the lips of commentators and those who fancy themselves as part of the intelligentia. These two dangerous words are (1) “multiculturism” and (2) “racism”, each used as a weapon to (1) change forever the very fabric of our society and (2) used as a strike weapon to silence debate.
    Our parish church has a muticultural Sunday once a year. I never attend the function and attend a different mass on the weekend as a matter of principle. Also I do NOT offer any financial support for the farce.
    This whole world agenda has been carefully thought out in an attempt to destroy our society as we know it. The instigators, whoever they are, know there will be a sufficient number of useful idiots in western communities, particularly among intellectuals, who will give a helping hand to implement their agenda, by using a system of gradualism. If successful, the useful idiots will be the first to suffer the consequences.
    Frank Bellet, Petrie Qld

  5. Despite the storm clouds hanging over Europe, I remain optimistic. It seems the prosecution now want the case against Geert dropped. Maybe they realise that there are enough people with common sense who will react with anger should he be found guilty.

    Yes, the elites have betrayed us, but when you think about it, there are a lot more ordinary people than there are elites, and we can all make a difference.

    As Geert says “If there is hope in Europe, it comes from the people, not from the elites. Change can only come from a grass-roots level. ”

    We can all find inspiration from Geert, and when going about our everyday life, challenge those who insist that Islam is peaceful and summon up the courage to tell the truth about Islam.

    Pam Renton

  6. I agree Ken. About a month ago an interesting statement came from US commentator Dick Morris. Some years ago he was chief adviser to the Billary Clintons. He is now a Republican – Who wouldn’t be after that job? He stated “If the Muslims laid down their arms, there would be no more war in the Middle East. If the Israelis laid down their arms, there’d be no more Israel.
    Frank Bellet, Petrie Qld

  7. Bill, what can one say but agree with Gert. We in the west have done ourselves a big disservice by bowing to the multicultural mantra, when all should have realised what we were visiting on ourselves. Surely we are a multi ethnic society with one cultural aspiration ie. freedom and democracy. We can only hope that those of us with influence can turn this around.
    Your website should assist in this endeavour.
    Gerry Van Hees

  8. Geert Wilders may appear to have won a victory, but even he will now have look over his shoulder or walk as though he is on thin ice. The damage has been done and a chilling of freedom of speech has not been undone.
    Incitement to hatred laws brought in by Muslims, gays and the useful idiots, plus the commission for equality and human rights, over the last few years, all have to repealed. Danny Nalliah and Danny Scott, though winning their case a few years ago, probably go nowhere near the edge these days. Is this true?

    David Skinner, UK

  9. Thanks David

    Actually the two Dannys are still quite bold and forthright. But it cost them big time and will continue to cost. Anyone who wants to be bold in these areas will have to pay the price.

    Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

  10. I note it is reported in the news today that Angela Merkel has stated that multiculturalism has failed utterly in Germany. Maybe the word is getting around, who knows who looks at this site for example. This site enables all of us to strengthen our argument, articulate our thoughts and try to win over friends and family who can’t see the situation as we see it. I note in USA there is a movement led by conservative women, nick-named “mama Grislies” (Sarah Palin’s phrase, whatever anyone may think of her) which is starting to fire broadsides at the feminists, liberal elitists, militant atheists. An entire Anglican parish in Kent, England, has voted to defect to Roman Catholicism although it is feared they will be hindered by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Articulating the dangers for Western culture that we on this site can see is important and there are some signs of success in conveying the message.
    Rachel Smith

  11. Hi Bill,

    I appreciate your work in defending our Christian heritage. But it appears to me that the damage is already done so to speak. Our world is against Christianity and we do have an insurgence of Islam unknowingly supported by the MSM and culture.

    But yet we complain, and have very few Christians willing to take the gospel of Christ to these people.

    I guess my point is: i’m not so optimistic that guys like this or strategies like this are going to help rectify the problem by themselves. We need people willing to actually go and boldly proclaim the gospel not just their political agenda’s.

    I find it immensely discouraging that so little Christian mission is targeted to the ‘unreached’ of which an enormous amount is the Islamic community.

    I agree that we must not downgrade the Islamic ideology and teachings (this should be brought to public attention like in this arena) but we need to couple that with gospel proclamation. We would be foolish to think our western world will remain ‘christian’ when the gospel isn’t being shared.

    I know here in Melbourne, that there are very few people actively involved in reaching the Islamic community (which is growing) and yet we act surprised when Islam grows and infiltrates our culture and worldview.

    Mark Topping

  12. Thanks Mark

    I agree with you and my short answer is this: I think we need to do both. We need to share the good news of Jesus Christ with individual Muslims while simultaneously working against creeping sharia law in the West and Islamist terrorism. It is not a question of doing just one or the other, but doing both.

    While each of us must do what God calls us to do, collectively the church must be engaged in both tasks. Thus my calling is more in the watchman role in alerting against the dangers to the free West of the expanse of militant Islam, while others are called to do the one-on-one evangelism. Both roles are important.

    Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

  13. I agree there are many things about the expansion of the fanatics are to be worried about. Hell even I am worried and I am a moslem but I am a sufi moslem teachings based on the Koran. The deeper teachings that are lost to the majority of moslems who with the horrible beards and egoisitic male dominated twisted interpretation have been shown over and over to be doing wrong and thus us who are very religious inwardly (as Sufi’s) and outwardly abide by the Rule of Law of the country we now call home and assimilate with the people in that new home that we love dearly, our childrens home, we are left wondering how to counter this and come forward and our challenge is to show that we exist, the ones who inwardly believe in Islam but do not wish to impose on others and accept that there are many paths ( I know you do not agree) to the Truth. That sharia in its deeper meaning is ” the individuated journey of the seeker between the seeker and his Lord” and not that which is pracitced by the majority. it is an individual journey and very personal. That submission does not mean in the sense of master and servant but that I put my life in Lord’s hands and His guiding Light and I trust will show me the way always,the right way, the way to treat every human being with respect and that ever human being created has a place in this physical manifestation. That enlightment is the divine right of all created being. My complete trust in my Lord and not something derrogatory. But I am fighting a lost cause between the hatred of many Chrisitans ( due to the actions of a few “moslems”) and the fanaticsim of those whos Ego remains unchecked. But I will persist in always fionding a way to speak out against those fanatics and maybe one day, if ever, pray that this hatred will somehow be more manageable.
    Siti Khatijah

  14. Yes Mark, there can be much more done in reaching out to the Muslim community. I agree wholeheartedly with Bill in the defense of Christianity and our own legal systems as part of that missionary effort – there are many Muslims who are happy to be in a country where they can practice their religion without persecution from their own (extremist) kind, and many women who enjoy the benefits in the West of not being under strict Sharia law. I remember hearing a local missionary speaker say that he thought “it’s great that more Muslims are coming to Australia because then we can witness to them, we don’t have to go to them” – to this I’d add, it’s only great if we *are* mobilising and actively engaging them, otherwise we’re contributing to the downfall of our own culture.

    But I’d agree that it takes some digging to find local and international ministries reaching out to Muslims.

    Here are some: AFCM http://www.afcm.org.au in Asia & Africa, and the great work being done by Kent Hodge of CFMI http://www.cfaithministries.org in Nigeria, Chris Brittain in Kenya, Iris ministries in Mozambique to name just a few, and locally the branches of Kairos Misson http://www.kairos.org which teach how to reach out to Muslims.

    see
    http://www.world-outreachaustralia.com/page/86774/default.asp
    http://www.nations2reach.com/

    There’s also some really good online teaching resources available at:
    http://www.kairos.org
    http://www.arabicbible.com/christian/missions.htm

    Garth Penglase

  15. Reading the media and their current over reaction to Wilders possible visit to Australia they have repeated something I heard quite a few times in that he is supposed to have compared the Quran to Mein Kampf but reading this speech he gave he is actually just repeating what Churchill actually said. As usual the media seeing what they want to see it would appear.
    Paul Wakeford

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