As Geert Wilders said yesterday, the British government was ‘cowardly’ for suppressing his freedom of speech by ejecting him from the U.K. virtually upon arrival at Heathrow. We posted yesterday that Wilders is going on to Rome, where, on February 19th, he will present his film “Fitna” at an invitation-only event. In addition to the screening, a news release issued today from the International Free Press Society notes:
The February 19 event will also include an address by Mr. Wilders, a press conference, and a ceremony during which "A Way for Oriana" will award Mr. Wilders with the Orianna Fallaci Free Speech Award, an honor that will recognize the parliamentarian, like the late Italian author and journalist, as a “symbol of the fight against Islamic fascism and a knight of the freedom of humankind.”
The event will be held at the Grand Palatino Hotel in Via Cavour 213, Rome, Italy. For security reasons, the conference is being restricted to those who have received invitations only.
Fitna will next be screened in smaller gatherings in the United States later this month, including assemblies in the New York and Washington, DC areas.
Wilders noted what are the objectives of his Facing Jihad World tour:
“This event is part of the ‘Facing Jihad’ world tour for Fitna that will serve to expose Islam for what it is, an ideology that preaches terrorism, anti-Semitism and the oppression of women, homosexuals and non-Muslims” said Mr. Wilders.
“Educating the public about the harsh realities of Islamization is the first step to effectively combating and ultimately defeating Global Jihad,” said Mr. Wilders.
Wilders leader of the Freedom Party in the Dutch parliament is facing criminal prosecution for effectively insulting a religion, Islam, in Holland arising from a controversial Amsterdam appeals court decision last month.
Notwithstanding the decision to bar entry of Wilders yesterday by the Gordon Brown government in Whitehall, “Fitna” was shown to a private gathering at the House of Lords sponsored by Lord Pearson and Baroness Cox. The U.K. Home office letter and actions by immigration officials at Heathrow airport is a reflection of deepening intimidation by the British Muslim community led by Lord Ahmed who had threatened to bring 10,000 Muslims to the Westminster parliament to protest Wilders and the showing of “Fitna”.
Britons were perturbed with its government’s decision to bar entry to Wilders. As reflected in a
Daily Mail poll with the question, “Should Dutch MP Geert Wilders be allowed to address the House of Lords?” more than four fifths, 86 percent, responded that Wilders should have been permitted to present and speak at their Parliament.
ATLAS SHRUGS