July 12, 2005

Free Speech Near Death in Holland

From Rogier Van Bakel at Nobody's Business:

This one slipped by me when it happened three days ago, but it's still plenty jawdropping today, so what the hell. A Dutch public prosecutor is seeking a two-week suspended prison sentence and 40 hours of community service for a man charged with discrimination. The suspect's crime: displaying, in the immediate wake of the murder of Theo van Gogh, a pamphlet in his home's window that read "Stop the tumor that is Islam." (link to news article in Dutch)

Were a Dutch person to display a pamphlet reading "Stop the cancer that is Christianity" or "Stop the baby-killing atheists," it's highly unlikely that said prosecutor — or anyone, for that matter — would bat an eyelash. Good thing, too. But from the looks of it, Muslims receive special protections not granted to others, equality and free speech be damned.