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IlliberalliberalismIntheNetherlands,restrictionsonfreespeechallowprovocateurstoposeasmartyrs

Jan28th2015|AMSTERDAM| International

Inaseriesfollowingourprintarticle

(http://www.economist.com/news/international/21640324reactionsparisattackshighlight

threatsfreeexpressionaroundworld)onconflictingapproachestofreespeechafterthe

terroristattacksinParisonJanuary7th,ourcorrespondentsoffermoreindepthanalysisof

thethreatstofreedomofexpressionaroundtheworld.Ourthirdarticlelooksatthe

Netherlands.(ThefirstwasonThailand

(http://www.economist.com/news/international/21640686afterparisattacksattention

focusedthreatsfreeexpressionfirstthailandroyalruin)thesecondontheMiddleEast

(http://www.economist.com/news/international/21640747middleeastfreeexpression

rarityblasphemylawsarefavouredtools).)

TheNetherlands'veryidentityisrootedinliberalEnlightenmentprinciples,yetforyears,

conflictsbetweenlawsmandatingfreedomofexpressionandlawsmandatingreligious

tolerancehavehadittiedupinknots.Inaspeechlastyearafterlocalelections,GeertWilders,a

populistpolitician(picturedabovespeakingtosupporters),promptedacrowdoffollowersto

shoutthattheywanted"fewerMoroccans",towhichhereplied:"Thenwe'llseetothat."He

facesprosecutionforremarksprosecutorssaydemonisedapopulationgroupratherthan

criticisingareligion.

MrWildersusessuchprosecutionstoposeasamartyrforfreeexpression,aprovenpolitical

strategyintheNetherlands.ItwaspioneeredbyPimFortuyn,asociologyprofessorwho

rocketedtopopularityin2001byattackingpoliticalcorrectnessandmulticulturalism,before

beingassassinatedbyananimalrightsactivist.MrFortuyn,whowasgay,condemnedIslamas

a"backward"andhomophobicreligion,insistinghewassimplyvoicingthemajority'ssilently

heldconvictions.HisbluntnessempoweredmanyDutchtoexpressformerlytaboo,often

offensiveopinions.AfterTheovanGogh,afilmmakerandantiMuslimprovocateur,was

murderedin2004,advocatingfreedomofspeechincreasinglycametomeanopenlyattacking

Islam.

AmongthepoliciesofMrWilders'sPartyforFreedom(PVV)istobantheKoran.Hedeniesthat

thiscontradictshisclaimtobeadefenderoffreespeech,comparingtheKorantoHitler's"Mein

Kampf"thatis,thehandbookofatotalitarianideology."MeinKampf"isbannedinthe

Netherlands,andin2007aminister'stentativeproposaltoallowitsdistributionwasquickly

shotdownbyparliamentarians(thoughanantiquarianprosecutedforsellingseveralold

editionsofthebookwasacquittedinNovember).Otherspeechlawshavebeenmore

aggressivelyenforced.In2008,thecartoonistGregoriusNekschotwasarrestedforincitementto

hatred.HisextraordinarilyoffensivedrawingsnowadornthePVV'sparliamentaryoffices.

NeighbouringGermanyalsobans"MeinKampf",andhaslawsbarringincitementtogroup

hatred.YetithasseennothingliketheongoingDutchclashbetweenfreespeechrightsand

lawsmandatingtolerance.FormanyDutch,bluntcritiquesofreligionarepartofanational

heritagegoingbacktoSpinoza.Soareeffortsbygovernmenttokeepdiversereligious

communitiesfrominsultingeachothertothepointofviolence.ForMrWilders,thetension

betweenthesetwomandateshasbeenpoliticallyfruitful,andheislikelytocontinuemilkingit

forallitisworth.