Fitna Creator Geert Wilders Acquitted Of Hate Speech Charges

A quick recap on the controversy, shows that Geert Wilders had his life threatened before releasing his film Fitna, he has called certain governments cowards for being intimidated into not releasing his film, Network Solutions pre-censored the film out of cowardness, LiveLeak showed courage and agreed to show it, had to remove it due to threats to their staff's lives, then tightened security and protection for their staff and restored it because they refuse to be intimidated into censoring free speech and bloggers from all over have made sure the film was generated to all that wanted to see it.

Reuters:

The case was seen by some as a test of free speech in a country which has a long tradition of tolerance and blunt talk, but where opposition to immigration, particularly from Muslim or predominantly Muslim countries, is on the rise.

Instantly recognizable by his mane of dyed blond hair, Wilders, 47, is one of the most outspoken critics of Islam and immigration in the Netherlands.

His Freedom Party is now the third-largest in parliament, a measure of support for its anti-immigrant stance, and is the minority government's chief ally. But many of Wilders' comments -- such as likening Islam to Nazism -- are socially divisive.

The presiding judge said Wilders' remarks were sometimes "hurtful," "shocking" or "offensive," but that they were made in the context of a public debate about Muslim integration and multi-culturalism, and therefore not a criminal act.

"I am extremely pleased and happy," Wilders told reporters after the ruling. "This is not so much a win for myself, but a victory for freedom of speech. Fortunately you can criticize Islam and not be gagged in public debate."

Three years he has been fighting these charges and Wilders' supporters are calling this a huge win for free speech.

The Fitna film can still be seen at Liveleaks.

All previous Wake up America posts surrounding the Geert Wilders controversy can be found here.

Others discussing this, via Memeorandum, are National Review, American Thinker, Atlas Shrugs, Bloomberg, Jihad Watch, Zilla of the Resistance and Weasel Zippers.

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