That's right. The explanation when he was first arrested was: "We suspect him of insulting people."
Insulting whom? The Dutch Reformed Church? No, it wasn't his equal-opportunity insulting of other religions that got him hauled in. His cartoons poked fun at Islam, and at the time, the double standard kicked in with the full force of the law behind it. He was arrested in May of 2008, and it has taken this much time, effort, and legal wrangling to get the charges dropped.
"Prosecutor Drops Case against Dutch Cartoonist," by Katrine Winkel Holm for the International Free Press Society, September 25 (thanks to Gravenimage):
COPENHAGEN, September 25, 2010 - International solidarity works and sometimes the good people win. That is conclusion one may draw from the Dutch prosecutor's recent decision to drop all charges against the intrepid cartoonist who goes under the ominous pseudonym Gregorius Nekschot.
In a mail to the Danish Free Press Society's webzine Sappho.dk, Nekschot characterises the outcome as a "complete victory".
Nekschot goes on to say that "five years of expensive investigations, an arrest, legal procedures and consultation at the highest level have resulted in nothing. I think the prosecutor wanted to drop the whole thing because the case against Geert Wilders is due to begin. It's the same prosecutor, you know."
There is one fly in the ointment: Nekschot's website may no longer display the "discriminating" drawings he was being investigated for. However, they are still on the internet and Dutch newspapers are allowed to reprint them for "journalistic reasons", as stated by the prosecutor.
Did the Interdepartmental Working Group on Cartoons weigh in?
As Nekschot sees it, however, that is "a very, very small price to pay. I can carry on making caricatures, perhaps even more controversial ones, because I have been allowed to keep my anonymity."
The issue of continued anonymity has been Nekschot's biggest worry all along. A public trial would have forced him to show his face, and that would have been tantamount to a death sentence. He remembers all too well what happened to two other Dutchmen who dared to offend the tender sensibilities of the religion of peace, the politician Pym Fortuyn and the film-maker Theo van Gogh, who were murdered in 2002 and 2004.
During both of Gregorius Nekschot's visits to Denmark as a guest of the Free Press Society, he therefore chose to address the audience dressed in a burka.
In the midst of all the joy over the prosecutor's decision to drop the case against Nekschot, it should be remembered that the Dutch penal code still has its article 137c, which forbids incitement to hatred. This means that anyone not towing the line of multiculturalism and deference to Islam can still be hauled before a court whenever the state deems it expedient to do so.
In Nekschot's case, the ruling elite decided that criminal proceedings were counterproductive and the caricaturist has no doubt that international attention to his plight played a crucial role.
As he states in his mail to the Free Press Society: "I think your help, from abroad, has been extremely important! The Dutch government must have realized that a case against me could turn into an international and very damaging affair. Apart from Wilders' case, another headache - so to speak."...
It's not some evil plot...politicans and police just do what is easiest for them -- so they can go back to doing nothing.
http://whyyouexist.blogspot.com
Now think what might happen if Islamists ever developed a sense of humor, or forgiveness.
During both of Gregorius Nekschot's visits to Denmark as a guest of the Free Press Society, he therefore chose to address the audience dressed in a burka.
Was Nekschot doing an about face, cross-dressing like the Prophet Muhammad did? An olive branch, emulating the Perfect Man, in deferrance to those that want to kill him? What does one do in polite Dutch society? I don't think I will ever be able to understand what is expected of one in touchy, multicultural situations.
"...the Dutch penal code still has its article 137c, which forbids incitement to hatred."
So why isn't article 137c being enforced against probably half the mosques and imams in the land?
So why isn't article 137c being enforced against probably half the mosques and imams in the land?
Oh, come on. This law is for non-muslims only.
I used to think that we should hold leftist clients' feet to the legal fire with "hate speech" laws until the Supreme Court declares such things unconstitutional (which they are, on face value). After all, an aging New Leftist calling someone a "fascist insect" or a Reverend Wright or some random imam doing time for doing what they do best might just scare a leftist judge or two into blowing the dust off their copies of the First Amendment.
Now, I think it would be far better to start pushing for the impeachment of politicians who start sponsoring such legislation. Such people clearly have problems with the First Amendment, which they are sworn to uphold, and seek to undercut checks and balances to perpetuate their own power. They are perjurers and unworthy of the American people's trust.
To do so, we would need to organize some sympathetic lawyers and sources of funding--something like the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Unfortunately, in the USA, pols prosecute impeachment, and pols usually look out for pols.
Biff Henderson wrote:
During both of Gregorius Nekschot's visits to Denmark as a guest of the Free Press Society, he therefore chose to address the audience dressed in a burka.
Was Nekschot doing an about face, cross-dressing like the Prophet Muhammad did? An olive branch, emulating the Perfect Man, in deferrance to those that want to kill him?
..................
Gregorius Nekschot has a very mordant sense of humor. For his own safety, he needs to remain anonymous (Gregorius Nekschot is a pseudonym—a "nekschot" [shot in the neck] is the form of execution that was often meted out by Nazis and communists). What could be more ironic than appearing in a burqa?
Here he is at an appearance at the Free Press Society:
http://www.internationalfreepresssociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/neckshot_feature.jpg
More:
The issue of continued anonymity has been Nekschot's biggest worry all along. A public trial would have forced him to show his face, and that would have been tantamount to a death sentence. He remembers all too well what happened to two other Dutchmen who dared to offend the tender sensibilities of the religion of peace, the politician Pym Fortuyn and the film-maker Theo van Gogh, who were murdered in 2002 and 2004.
..................
This trial could have opened him up to incredible danger had he been forced to testify in open court. Appalling that is was even considered.
Besides the cases listed above, we also have the sad case of American cartoonist Molly Norris, who has had to change her name and go into hiding after being threatened by members of the "Religion of Peace™".
This, of course, is what makes this case so insane—while Nekschot is being prosecuted for "hate" because of his cartoons, Muslims are proffering *true hate*—in the form of actual death threats.
More:
There is one fly in the ointment: Nekschot's website may no longer display the "discriminating" drawings he was being investigated for. However, they are still on the internet and Dutch newspapers are allowed to reprint them for "journalistic reasons", as stated by the prosecutor.
..................
Not only is this continued censorship appalling, but it could seem to leave the door open to further "hate speech" charges in the future.
Luckily, Nekschot himself seems unbowed. Here's his view of his prosecutors:
"Ministry of Justice, Humor Department"
http://www.gregoriusnekschot.nl/blog/media/blogs/international//Justitie-HR.gif
More:
Nekschot goes on to say that "five years of expensive investigations, an arrest, legal procedures and consultation at the highest level have resulted in nothing. I think the prosecutor wanted to drop the whole thing because the case against Geert Wilders is due to begin. It's the same prosecutor, you know."
..................
Well, this is damn disturbing. Perhaps the Dutch Ministry of Justice finally came to its senses; perhaps they succumbed to international pressure from free speech advocates; or maybe they just thought that with Geert Wilders that they have bigger fish to fry.
This is an important story.
Here are some more of Nekschot's cartoons:
"Islamsterdam"
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/images/2008/05/16/islamsterdam2.gif
A disturbing comment on the Islamization of Britain:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_md61S_gChL0/SZrUk_GIflI/AAAAAAAAAWM/lnjyrrNgPFs/s400/nekschotwhitecliffs.jpg
A particularly disturbing take on the "Prophet" Muhammed's deflowering of young Aisha:
http://blog.balder.org/billeder-blog/Cartoon-Gregorius-Nekschot-Mohammed-Deflowering-Aisha.jpg
Poor little Islam, it can't take any criticism. Islam and Muslims generally have such fragile egos that the merest comment, criticism, cartoon or remark can send followers into a frenzy. Such behaviour is confirmatory of cults and closed-belief systems, that rely on intimidation (whether it be violent or non-violent as we've seen in this case) to get their way.
The whole problem can be solved once people realise Islam is not a religion, but more a cult with a totalitarian purpose: world domination. Dar-ul Islam must conquer Dar-ul Harb, just as Muhammed and the earliest Muslims did. Plenty of Muslims in the West desire this today and are using Western civil institutions to establish sharia or a sharia-like environment so non-Muslims will kowtow to their precious demands.
I'm all for critique, ridicule and insults for Islam because those people who get agitated the most when they're constructively criticised just shows they need to develop a sense of humour. If they can't do this, which for the most part they can't, then they should be thrown out. They can't keep shouting "give us respect!" and expect to get it when they're not condemning co-religionists for blowing up non-believers and haven't got their priorities right. Full marks for Nekschot.
"As Nekschot sees it, however, that is "a very, very small price to pay. I can carry on making caricatures, perhaps even more controversial ones, because I have been allowed to keep my anonymity.""
Anonymity. This is the way to go in the future. Every critic of Islam should take on a Scarlet Pimpernel persona. That way, the cold-blooded murderers who murder in the name of Islam would only have shadows to aim at.
Buraq wrote:
Anonymity. This is the way to go in the future. Every critic of Islam should take on a Scarlet Pimpernel persona.
................
I don't know why I had never quite looked at it from that perspective before, Buraq. Well put—you are quite correct.
I have enormous respect for people like Robert Spencer, Pamela Geller, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and Geert Wilders, who face Islam under their own names—and face enormous risks because of it.
There is no doubt that there is also a role for critics like Gregorius Nekschot—and all those who have adopted such noms de guerre.
Sheesh. The idiot prosecutor needs to come out of the closet and just admit he's a Muslim.
Mohammed wasn't a faithful guy...that's why he had so many
wife's and child brides. Islam is a false prophesy and nothing
good can be found in it.
In the Apocalypse (bible) wasn't it mentioned the world would be taken over by a false god, smacks of islam doesn,t?
Just thought I'd mention it, get some mad preacher to blast it across the world that Muhammad is the anti-christ and the koran is evil, like to see there reaction to that.
"yahoo questions" has deleted this question because it deemed it to be demeaning or insulting towards groups or persons:
"Of the three major religions -- Islam, Christianity and Hindu -- which is the most involved in civil wars?"
Stunning. Right here in America. The fix is in.
(25 of today's 28 civil wars involve Muslims. religioustolerance.org)
Bob Gill wrote:
Sheesh. The idiot prosecutor needs to come out of the closet and just admit he's a Muslim.
...................
Bob, I really doubt that prosecutor Paul Velleman is a "revert", nor is Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin. And they don't need to be.
They are the very worst kind of useful idiots, who will pursue brave Dutchmen like Geert Wilders and Gregorius Nekschot while leaving genuine purveyors of hate—Jihadists—untouched.