Bat Ye’or: Politics and Freedom
ATLAS SHRUGS: Muslims might feel insulted by Geert Wilders’ opinions on Islam. However, Geert Wilders and non-Muslims feel insulted – threatened — by the hostile and negative opinions on them enshrined in Muslim holy books, laws and customs. These are not hidden or dismissed as outdated, but continuously and proudly published, taught and publicly expounded throughout the world — without being opposed by Muslim leaders. Westerners have been conditioned by their governments, their media, the Palestinisation of their culture and societies, to be the culprit and to accept without a murmur the continuous harassment of the permanent terrorist threat. Such terrorism has taken already many innocent lives and wounded countless others since it started, in the 1960s, in Europe with the collaboration of Palestinians and Nazi groups murdering Jews and Israelis.

In view of an aggressive indigenous and foreign terrorism within the Netherlands itself, it is clear that Geert Wilders is answering a provocation against him that obliges him to live under permanent security controls. How is it possible that in the XXIe century, in a democratic and peaceful Europe, some people, politicians, intellectuals, cartoonists or others, need 24-hour security when they have done nothing but lawfully express themselves ? Will self-censorship define our culture? >>> Bat Ye’or | Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Prozess: Wilders bestreitet Vorwurf der Islam-Hetze
DIE PRESSE: Der niederländische Rechtspopulist Wilders muss sich ab heute wegen Volksverhetzung vor Gericht verantworten. Ihm drohen 16 Monate Gefängnis. Seine Anhänger demonstrieren gegen das Verfahren.

In Amsterdam hat am Mittwoch der Prozess gegen den niederländischen Islam-Gegner Geert Wilders begonnen. Der populäre Politiker ist wegen Volksverhetzung angeklagt. Die Staatsanwaltschaft wirft ihm die Beleidigung von Muslimen und ihrer Religion sowie Aufstachelung zum Hass gegen Anhänger des Islam vor. Es drohen 16 Monate Gefängnis sowie eine Geldstrafe von bis zu 10.000 Euro.

Wilders wies vor Gericht alle Vorwürfe zurück. Seine kritischen Äußerungen über Anhänger des Islam und über den Koran als "faschistische" Anleitung zum Terrorismus seien "ein substanzieller Beitrag zur öffentlichen Debatte" und keineswegs strafbar. >>> Ag. | Mittwoch, 20. Januar 2010

Update on Our Hero in Amsterdam – “Geert Akbar”! Geert Wilders: 'I want Muslim Fanatic to Speak in My Defence'
TIMES ONLINE: Geert Wilders, the Dutch far-Right MP, has demanded that his race hate trial should hear evidence from the fanatic who used the Koran to justify killing the director of an anti-Islamic film.

It marked an incendiary opening to the landmark case that has divided the Netherlands over the limits of freedom. Mr Wilders, 46, who is accused of incitement and discrimination, asked for 18 witnesses to be called in his defence, including Mohammed Bouyeri, the man who stabbed and shot Theo Van Gogh in an Amsterdam street in 2004.

The Van Gogh murder left a deep scar on the national conscience. It helped to change the mood of tolerance of Islam, and boosted Mr Wilders’s popularity.

Mr Wilders, whose Party for Freedom came second in the European elections last summer, faces a 70-page charge sheet covering five counts of breaking Dutch law in more than 100 public statements — for example, by likening the Koran to Hitler’s Mein Kampf and calling for an end to the “Islamic invasion”. He could be fined or jailed if convicted.

The alleged offences include Mr Wilders’s film Fitna, which shows images of 9/11 and beheadings interspersed with verses from the Koran. It ends with a clip of the controversial Danish cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad.

At the opening day of the trial the prosecution objected to the request to hear from Bouyeri, and the panel of four judges adjourned until February 3 to consider which witnesses to call. “This case is about more than Mr Wilders,” Bram Moszkowicz, his lawyer, told the court. “It touches us all. It is such an important and principled question that could have far-reaching consequences.”

Mr Moszkowicz argued that the witnesses Mr Wilders wanted to call would prove that what he said was not simply inoffensive but true. He suggested that Bouyeri, a dual Moroccan-Dutch national, would be key to the case because he was a fervent Muslim who carried a Koran during his trial and defended his crime by claiming that Islam permitted violence against unbelievers. >>> David Charter in Amsterdam | Thursday, January 21, 2010

First Day in Wilders Trial
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: The trial of the Dutch politician Geert Wilders, began this Wednesday.

The lead judge of the court started off by addressing Geert Wilders, leader of the populist PVV party, directly. The judge said that while the media might have portrayed his case as foregone, his court “would not cast judgment before the last word has been spoken”.

It is quite uncommon for judges to reassure their suspects that they will receive a fair trial. But it seems little in the case against Wilders will be business as usual. On Wednesday morning, hundreds of Wilders’ sympathizers were gathered outside the Amsterdam courtroom where Wilders was on trial for group slander and inciting discrimination and violence. A large number of Wilder’s statements to the media and his anti-Islam film Fitna will be presented as evidence. A comparison Wilders drew between the Koran and Hitler’s Mein Kampf is one of his remarks now under legal scrutiny.

Witnesses to be called

The hearing on Wednesday was formal in nature, establishing a general schedule for the trial. The defence and prosecution will be presenting their cases later this year. The first outlines of the case became clear on Wednesday however. The court will have to decide who can be called as a witness by Thursday. Wilders has said he feels that Islam should be on trial instead of him. In an attempt to prove that Islam provokes evil, he wants to call Theo van Gogh’s murderer, Mohammed B., as a witness. He also hopes to call a number of Dutch scholars who have voiced criticism of Islam in the past. The court might limit or expand the scope of the trial by allowing or barring certain witnesses.

Wednesday’s formal hearing kicked off with a number of preliminary motions in which the defence argued why Wilders should not be tried in the first place. His lawyer, Bram Moszkowicz, named several. He argued that Wilders should not be tried in Amsterdam, but in The Hague, where he lives. Moszkowicz also argued that the scope of the charges against Wilders had been extended unjustly when the public prosecutor chose to try him for inciting hatred against non-western migrant communities and Moroccans. The prosecution had not yet responded when this article was written. Already convicted? >>> Merel Thie | Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Mohammed Is Most Popular Boy's Name in Four Biggest Dutch Cities
THE TELEGRAPH: Mohammed, or other variations of the name of Islam's founding prophet, has become the most popular name choice for baby boys in the four biggest cities of the Netherlands.

Information collected by the country's social security agency has found that traditional Dutch names have been displaced in the urban centres of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht as the country's Muslim population grows.

In The Hague variations of the name Mohammed have taken first, second and fifth place in the Dutch capital's league table of most popular names for boys, replacing traditional favourites such as Jan, Luuk, Gijs or Daan.

At a national level the name Mohammed is now the 16th most popular name for boys.

The figures, obtained by the Dutch Elsevier magazine, from the Dutch Social Insurance Bank, or Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB), are different from the official statistics which have in the past counted various spellings of Mohammed, Muhamed, or Muhammad as different names.

Previous government name counts, separating the different versions, have avoided controversy by keeping the name of Islam's founder outside the Dutch top 20 of favourite names for baby boys.

Geert Wilders, leader of the far-Right, anti-Islam Freedom Party, which is currently leading the Dutch opinion polls, has demanded a government investigation following the Daily Telegraph's Aug 8 report that over a fifth of the European Union's population has been forecast to be Muslim by 2050. >>> Bruno Waterfield | Thursday, August 13, 2009

Prosecution of Wilders Will Go Ahead
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLWIDE: The Public Prosecutor's Office will now definitely go ahead with the prosecution of the populist MP Geert Wilders for inciting hatred and discrimination. The Supreme Court refused to consider an appeal from Mr Wilders' lawyer Bram Moszkowicz to get the case dropped. This was the last avenue of appeal.

Initially the Public Prosecutor had no intention of putting Mr Wilders on trial, until an Amsterdam court responded to complaints lodged by prominent lawyer Gerard Spong and others by ruling that Mr Wilders had exceeded his parliamentary privilege and committed punishable offences.

He will be charged with inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims, particularly by comparing the Qur'an with Hitler's Mein Kampf and Islam with fascism.

On the website of his Freedom Party, Mr Wilders said, "It is a political trial. I am being prosecuted for saying about Islam what millions of Dutch people think. Freedom of speech is in danger of being sacrificed on the altar of Islam." Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin commented, "We do not have political trials in the Netherlands." [Source: RNW] | Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Amsterdam Islam Congress Resounding Success
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: Around 1,000 people attended the first National Islam Congress in Amsterdam today. The event was organised by the Institute of Islamic Studies in order to highlight Islam's diversity and promote dialogue. There were numerous discussions and workshops as well as lectures given by Islamic scholars from numerous countries including Saudi Arabia, United States, Great Britain and the Netherlands.

Participants, both Muslim and non-Muslim, discussed various issues including citizenship, the position of Muslim women, Sharia law and Salafism, a fundamentalist Sunni Muslim movement.

One of the speakers was the preacher Khalid Yassin; an earlier visit to the Netherlands was extremely controversial due to his radical ideas. Tarik Ramadan, a progressive Moslem known for his criticism of Islam, also gave a lecture.

Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders was also invited but the far-right MP refused the invitation saying, "never in 10 million years".

The Institute for Islamic Studies says today's congress was an overwhelming success and a follow-up will be organised. [Source: RNW] | Saturday, May 16, 2009

Dutch Police Arrest 7 Suspected of Planning Attack
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: Dutch police on Thursday arrested seven people suspected of preparing a terrorist attack in Amsterdam, including a relative of one of the attackers who died in the 2004 bombings in Madrid.

Mayor Job Cohen said police were acting on an anonymous tip that warned an Ikea outlet or other stores in the southeast of the city might be targeted.

"It wasn't a regular bomb warning, but a warning of a planned action aimed at creating casualties in shops," Cohen said during a joint press conference with police commissioner Bernard Welten public prosecutor Herman Bolhaar on Thursday night.

"Men were planning to put explosives in the shops and wanted to cause casualties in busy places," he said.

Cohen told NOS radio on Friday morning that no explosives were found during the searches of the suspects' houses.

Police received the tip late on Wednesday night from an prepaid cell phone in Belgium. The tip also included names of one suspect and locations for police to search. The locations included Ikea and Media Markt, a large electronics store.

Cohen said the tip was "so specific" about names and places that it was decided to treat it as credible. The poilice contacted the secret service, AIVD, in order to verify the information.

By early morning, it was revealed that one of the suspects was a relative of one of the suspects in the Madrid train bombings, which killed 191 people and happened five years ago almost to the day. The relative killed himself when Spanish police raided his apartment at the time. "This established a link with Madrid," said Welten.

Early on Thursday morning, authorities shut down a major Amsterdam shopping street near the Arena football stadium and sealed off the nearby Ikea store. A concert by the American band "The Killers" in a local music hall was cancelled.

The houses of the suspects named by the anonymous caller were immediately put under surveillance. The first arrest took place around noon on Thursday; the last at 5.45 p.m. >>> News Staff, NRC Handelsblad International | Friday, March 13, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>

Wilders Now a Celebrity in US and Prime Minister in Poll
NIS NEWS BULLETIN: THE HAGUE - Controversial MP Geert Wilders has reacted with pleasure to a poll according to which his Party for Freedom (PVV) would be the Netherlands' biggest party. "As far as I am concerned elections can be held tomorrow; then I will be the next premier."

The PVV would according to prominent pollster Maurice de Hond win 27 seats in the 150-member Lower House if elections were held now. This is one more than the Christian democrats (CDA). This is the first time the PVV has emerged as the biggest party in a poll.

The PVV has risen in recent weeks thanks to apparent setbacks. First, the Amsterdam appeal court ruled that Wilders must be prosecuted for incitement to hatred and insulting of Muslims as a group. And subsequently, the UK refused him entry to the country.

In the US on the other hand, Wilders was greeted by neo-conservatives - as by a growing portion of the Dutch population - as a martyr for freedom of speech. The contrasts with Europe are great. A conservative philosopher said of his impact in the American media: "He is more than a hero. He is a celebrity".

Wilders says his criticism of Islam is dealt with much less frenetically in America. "In the Netherlands, the elite consider that you may not speak as I do, but here (in the US) freedom is in the genes. (...) I notice that in this country, at least arguments are exchanged. The Netherlands and Europe could adopt this as an example."

According to Wilders, the Pentagon shares his fears of a 'Eurabia'. "I have spoken with Pentagon staff, and they fear for the stability of Europe if the influence of Islam grows further." >>> | Tuesday, March 3, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>

Wilders Asks High Court to Halt Prosecution
Geert Wilders courtesy of Google Images
NRC HANDELSBLAD: Populist politician Geert Wilders is taking his case to the high court, asking the country's highest judicial body to quash the order to prosecute him "in the interest of the law".

The member of parliament has enlisted one of the Netherlands' best known lawyers, Bram Moszkowicz, to fight his prosecution over inciting hatred and discrimination. The lawyer has confirmed he is taking the case to the country's high court, requesting an immediate end to the proceedings.

The Amsterdam appeals court in January ordered that Wilders must be prosecuted for insulting Muslims and describing the Koran as "the Islamic Mein Kampf". Wilders, leader of the opposition Party for Freedom (PVV), claims he is doing nothing other than exercising his right to free speech, both inside and outside parliament. Following formal objections by individual citizens and interest groups, the Amsterdam court order reversed a decision by the public prosecutor's office to refrain from opening a case against Wilders.

Wilders on his website says: "I've hired the best lawyer of the Netherlands for a ruthless fight against the charges that I'm facing." In an earlier case Moszkowicz profited from a state’s request to quash a case in the interest of the law, achieving almost by accident his desired result of halting the prosecution in the Netherlands of Surinam's former strongman Desi Bouterse for his involvement in a series of political murders in 1982. The court declared in 2001 that the Netherlands had no jurisdiction in that case.

Dozens of citizens, companies and authorities plead for the cassation of irrevocable verdicts against them every year in the Netherlands, mostly to no avail. The independent representative of the prosecution at the high court almost never accepts such requests. The procedure is mainly used to correct obvious mistakes, clarify jurisprudence, affirm or rephrase the court's position. The criteria for quashing a verdict "in the interest of the law" is that a greater public interest is at stake.

According to Ybo Buruma, professor of criminal law at the Radboud University, Wilders's request to have his case put before the high court has a minimal chance of success. Buruma thinks that public relations are more involved here than the law. Yet he understands why Moszkowicz is exploring this avenue, given the practical consequences of the verdict in the Bouterse case. >>> By Folkert Jensma | Tuesday, February 3, 2009

This article was translated and edited in partnership with RNW.

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>

Exprimer: Restriction et régression de la liberté d’expression en Europe
RESILIENCE TV: Lu sur Riposte laïque : " Incroyable : le 21 janvier dernier, la cour d’appel d’Amsterdam a décidé de poursuivre le député néerlandais Geert Wilders pour son film Fitna, dans lequel on peut voir, en seize minutes – et uniquement par des images d’actualité illustrant des extraits du Coran – la violence dont sont capables les islamistes.



Il aura donc suffi que Geert Wilders s’appuie sur des faits réels – qu’il prend pourtant la précaution de ne pas commenter – pour être accusé à la fois d’« incitation à la haine et de discrimination à l’égard des musulmans ».



C’est exactement en ces termes que fut condamnée à cinq reprises – et par un tribunal français, s’il vous plaît ! – notre Brigitte Bardot nationale, dont le seul tort avait été de dénoncer, à l’occasion de l’Aïd-el-Kébir, l’égorgement des moutons préalablement non étourdis. Le la collaborationniste venait d’être donné !



Louis Chagnon, professeur d’histoire/géographie au collège Georges-Pompidou, de Courbevoie, encourra les mêmes foudres pour avoir appris à ses élèves que Mahomet était non seulement le Prophète de l’islam mais encore un chef politique et militaire qui sut s’imposer en utilisant aussi bien la diplomatie que la force. >>> Posté par Façal Souteï | Mardi 27 Janvier 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Broché) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Relié) >>>

Submission in the Netherlands
CITY JOURNAL: The trial of Geert Wilders represents another blow against Dutch freedom.

“The Freedom Party (PVV),” read yesterday’s press release, “is shocked by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal’s decision to prosecute Geert Wilders for his statements and opinions. Geert Wilders considers this ruling an all-out assault on freedom of speech.”

The appalling decision to try Wilders, the Freedom Party’s head and the Dutch Parliament’s only internationally famous member, for “incitement to hatred and discrimination” against Islam is indeed an assault on free speech. But no one who has followed events in the Netherlands over the last decade can have been terribly surprised by it. Far from coming out of the blue, this is the predictable next step in a long, shameful process of accommodating Islam—and of increasingly aggressive attempts to silence Islam’s critics—on the part of the Dutch establishment.

What a different road the Netherlands might have taken if Pim Fortuyn had lived! Back in the early spring of 2002, the sociologist-turned-politician—who didn’t mince words about the threat to democracy represented by his country’s rapidly expanding sharia enclaves—was riding high in the polls and appeared on the verge of becoming the next prime minister. For his supporters, Fortuyn represented a solitary voice of courage and an embodiment of hope for freedom’s preservation in the land of the dikes and windmills. But for the Dutch political class and its allies in the media and academia—variously blinded by multiculturalism, loath to be labeled racists, or terrified of offending Muslims—Fortuyn himself was the threat. They painted him as a dangerous racist, a new Mussolini out to tyrannize a defenseless minority. The result: on May 6, 2002, nine days before the election, Fortuyn was gunned down by a far-left activist taken in by the propaganda. The Dutch establishment remained in power. For many Dutchmen, hope died that day. >>> Bruce Bawer | Thursday, January 22, 2009

Hat tip: Pastorius >>>

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>

New Dark Age Alert! Islam Film Dutch MP to Be Charged
Photo of Geert Wilders courtesy of Google Images
"This is a black day for everyone who has voted for me and for everyone who thinks you are allowed to criticize Islam," he said. "In this country, you are apparently allowed to criticize only if you are politically correct in how you express yourself." – Geert Wilders [Source: SpiegelOnline International]

BBC: A Dutch court has ordered prosecutors to put a right-wing politician on trial for making anti-Islamic statements.

Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders made a controversial film last year equating Islam with violence and has likened the Koran to Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf.

"In a democratic system, hate speech is considered so serious that it is in the general interest to... draw a clear line," the court in Amsterdam said.

Mr Wilders said the judgement was an "attack on the freedom of expression".

"Participation in the public debate has become a dangerous activity. If you give your opinion, you risk being prosecuted," he said.

Not only he, but all Dutch citizens opposed to the "Islamisation" of their country would be on trial, Mr Wilders warned.

"Who will stand up for our culture if I am silenced?" he added.

'Incitement'

The three judges said that they had weighed Mr Wilders's "one-sided generalisations" against his right to free speech, and ruled that he had gone beyond the normal leeway granted to politicians.

"The Amsterdam appeals court has ordered the prosecution of member of parliament Geert Wilders for inciting hatred and discrimination, based on comments by him in various media on Muslims and their beliefs," the court said in a statement.

"The court also considers appropriate criminal prosecution for insulting Muslim worshippers because of comparisons between Islam and Nazism made by Wilders," it added. >>> | Wednesday, January 21, 2009

NRC HANDELSBLAD: Geert Wilders Prosecuted for Hate Speech

Dutch member of parliament Geert Wilders of the populist PVV party is to be charged with hate speech and inciting discrimination, the appeals court in Amsterdam ruled on Wednesday.

Last year the public prosecutor decided not to prosecute Wilders for his anti-Islamic statements, which include calling the Quran a fascist book and comparing it to Hilter's Mein Kampf. Wilders made headlines around the world in March 2008 with his film Fitna, which juxtaposed Quranic verses against a background of violent film clips and images of terrorism by Islamic radicals.

Dozens of organisations and individuals in the Netherlands wanted to bring charges against the politician, but the prosecutor decided that his remarks were painful for Muslims - but not criminal. The Amsterdam court disagreed and found that there was a case of inciting hatred to answer for, both because of the content of Wilders' remarks and the way in which they were presented. The judges said they had weighed Wilders' anti-Islam rhetoric against his right to free speech, and ruled he had gone beyond the normal leeway granted to politicians.

The court ruled that Wilders had personally insulted Muslim believers by attacking the symbols of Islam. The court found that many of Wilders' comments offensive because they "injure Muslims in their religious dignity." About Fitna the court said it was "one-sided, extremely generalising rhetoric to radical effect, using relentless repetition and increasing intensity." >>> News staff | Wednesday, January 21, 2009

DIE PRESSE: Islam-Film: Geert Wilders muss doch vor Gericht

Der Niederländer bezeichnete den Koran als faschistisch und den Propheten Mohammed als Barbaren. Entgegen eines vorangegangenen Richterspruchs muss sich Wilders nun doch vor dem Obersten Gericht in Amsterdam verteidigen.

Anti-islamische Attacken des niederländischen Rechtspopulisten Geert Wilders müssen doch noch von der Staatsanwaltschaft als mutmaßliche Straftaten verfolgt werden. Das entschied am Mittwoch das oberste Gericht in Amsterdam. Es stellte sich damit gegen den Spruch eines Richters in Den Haag, der Wilders Angriffe durch das Recht auf Meinungsfreiheit gedeckt sah. Wilders hatte den Koran als faschistisch und den Propheten Mohammed als Barbaren bezeichnet. >>> | Mittwoch, 21. Januar 2009

DIE PRESSE:
Bild für Bild: Der umstrittene Koran-Film >>>

Fitna: The Movie – فتنة

NRC HANDELSBLAD: Geert Wilders Meets an Israeli Kindred Spirit

Geert Wilders screened his controversial anti-Koran film Fitna in Jerusalem this weekend at the invitation of right-wing Zionist politician Arieh Eldad.

Geert Wilders, member of the Dutch parliament and leader of the populist PVV party, got a round of applause when he told his audience at the conference Facing Jihad that Jerusalem was on the front line of the Jihad, or Holy War. And they stood up when Wilders praised the parents of Israeli soldiers, and attacked the Netherlands “left-wing elite”.

But is is hardly surprising that his appearance went down so well. The Facing Jihad conference was organised by the Zionist Arieh Eldad, who describes Islam as “a global disease”. Its aim, just prior to Israeli elections, was to show “the true face of islam” Eldad said.

“I have not come here to comment on Israeli internal affairs”, Wilders stated in a telephone interview shortly before the conference. “I am not going to tell people which way to vote and I am not going to endorse Arieh Eldad. If the [right wing] Likud party had invited me, I would have come as well.”

Arieh Eldad is one of the most talked-of politicians in Israel. The plastic surgeon is a member of parliament (the Knesset ) for Ichud Leumi (the National Union, a merger of several far-right parties which has nine parliamentary seats). But he is also founder and leader of the new right-wing Zionist party Hativka (Hope). That party’s main goal is defending the interests of the settlers on the occupied West Bank. >>> Guus Valk in Jerusalem | Monday, 15. December 2009 / Wednesday, 21. January 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>

Amsterdam's Brothels and Cannabis Cafés Furious over Mayor's 'Clean-up'
THE GUARDIAN: Dissent grows over a planned crackdown on prostitution and drugs aimed at curbing organised crime in the red-light district

Amsterdam has long been famed for its relaxed approach to prostitution and soft drugs, making the Dutch city one of the most popular destinations for tens of thousands of Britons on stag and hen parties.

But all that may be about to change. As part of a major 'clean-up' of the city centre, the local authorities yesterday unveiled plans to close half of the brothels and the little coffee shops where cannabis can be bought and smoked, prompting warnings that they will cost the city dear as visitors head elsewhere.

Although prostitution has been legal for eight years, and possession of small amounts of drugs has long been tolerated, the latest moves mark an escalation in the culture wars in a country that many of its people believe has become too liberal.

At the heart of the new initiative is the city's drive against the organised crime that it claims gravitates to the areas with high concentrations of 'coffee shops', brothels and the 'windows' where women advertise themselves.

While Amsterdam has long been held up as a model of the argument in favour of the legalisation of soft drugs and the sex trade, its critics counter that the windows and coffee shops mask the violent reality of organised crime. 'By reduction and zoning of these kinds of functions, we will be able to manage and tackle the criminal infrastructure better,' the city said in a statement.

Opponents of the clean-up - including coffee-shop owners and the prostitutes' union, De Rode Draad (Red Thread), which represents 20,000 Dutch prostitutes - told The Observer yesterday that they believed that, far from reducing crime, it would encourage drug dealers and prostitutes to go underground in areas where they were banned.

They also warned that the new clampdown on drugs and the sex industry would have a profound effect on the economics of a city famous for both things. 'Amsterdam is the city of sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll,' said Metje Blaak, a spokeswoman for De Rode Draad, which provides health screening and other training for its members.

'Now we have no sex. No drugs. The women will go on the streets and to the hotels. It is very bad, not least in terms of women's health and safety. The mayor has not listened to the women or the coffee shops,' she added. >>> Peter Beaumont | December 7, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>

BBC HARDtalk: Geert Wilders Talking Sense – Part 1

Part 2
Part 3
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)

Several Thousand Demonstrate in Amsterdam Against Wilders’ Anti-Qur’an Film
This demonstration just goes to show how many people just don’t 'get it'!

BOSTON HERALD: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Demonstrators of all races and colors crowded Amsterdam’s central square Saturday, braving wind and sleet to show their opposition to anti-immigration lawmaker Geert Wilders.

The protest, called "Netherlands Shows Its Colors," is primarily a reaction in advance to the short film Wilders says he will release later this month criticizing the Quran as a "fascist" book.

One protester carried a sign saying "standing together against the right wing populist witch-hunt."

"I’m very much against Geert Wilders and racism in general, but I think it’s really important to show not only Holland but the rest of the world that there’s a lot of people who do not agree with his ideas," said Elisa Trepp. Several Thousand Demonstrate in Amsterdam Against Anti-Quran Film >>> Associated Press

NEW YORK TIMES:
A Dutch Antagonist of Islam Waits for His Premiere

JIHAD WATCH:
Fitzgerald: The Times, in its shrinking dotage

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Protesters in Amsterdam Call for Halt to "Islamization of Europe"
MSNBC: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Around 20 demonstrators gathered on Amsterdam's central Dam square Saturday to call for a halt to what they say is the growing influence of Islam in Europe.

Amid an extremely heavy police presence, members of the group called "Stop the Islamization of Europe" came to promote their ideas. Protesters in Amsterdam call for halt to "Islamization of Europe" >>> By Toby Sterling

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Tough Love in Amsterdam
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: For one Amsterdam mayor, the Netherlands' famous tolerance has gone too far. Morrocan-born Ahmed Marcouch is taking the tough cop approach in a rough Amsterdam neighborhood, pushing his fellow immigrants to integrate. But some consider him a traitor.

A street festival is in full swing in Amsterdam's Slotervaart neighborhood. The occasion is the dedication of a new community center for Christians and Muslims designed to foster interaction between the two groups.

As the crowd listens to music, munches on fish snacks and Arab pastries and drinks fruit juice, Ahmed Marcouch, the district's 38-year-old mayor, holds a speech. He talks about progress and mutual understanding between different ethnic communities. At the end of his talk, Marcouch poses for pictures with an attractive young woman wearing a headscarf.

The festival and the speech are nice gestures, but atypical. Normally life in Slotervaart isn't nearly as convivial as the speakers paint it. Crime and unemployment are significantly higher than the national average, and one in three of the neighborhood's young people are high-school dropouts.

Ahmed Marcouch grew up in this environment, but he has since made a better life for himself. He was illiterate when he came to the Netherlands from Morocco at the age of 10, but he was lucky enough to encounter a teacher at a progressive Montessori school who helped him get on track. Moroccan-Born Mayor Dispenses Tough Love to Immigrants (more) By Erich Wiedemann

Mark Alexander

Amsterdam’s Nude Photoshoot
WATCH VIDEO HERE

More Spencer Tunick moments:

Spencer Tunick

Spencer Tunick

Mark Alexander