Utrecht, Netherlands – A Dutch court on Thursday acquitted an Arab cultural group and its chairman of hate speech charges for publishing a cartoon questioning the reality of the Holocaust.
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The Utrecht court ruled that the publication by the Dutch arm of the Arab European League was intended to provoke debate, and fell within the boundaries of freedom of speech laws.
“The court considers the cartoon insulting, if considered by itself,” the court said in a written ruling. However “the context in which it is placed removes the criminally insulting nature.”
It said that the group had intended to spur a public discussion about a perceived double standard: that European media are willing to publish cartoons mocking Islam’s prophet Muhammad — but mocking the Holocaust is a taboo.
The league published the cartoon on its own website. In accompanying texts, it stated that it accepts the reality of Nazi genocide against Jews during World War II.
Public prosecutors had demanded a C2,500 ($3,350) fine against the league and a C1,250 fine against its chairman Abdoulmouthalib Bouzerda, who drew the cartoon.
The cartoon shows two apparently Jewish men poking a pile of skeletons and discussing whether they can count non-Jews to increase the Holocaust death toll.
The Netherlands’ Center for Documentation on Israel filed a formal complaint, noting that Jews had nothing to do with the creation or publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad cartoons that were published in Denmark, angering Muslims around the world.
Hate speech prosecutions are rare in the Netherlands, but the AEL case is one of several high-profile cases to come to court recently.
Lawmaker Geert Wilders, who has become one of the country’s most popular politicians on an anti-Islam platform, is facing criminal prosecution for alleged hate speech violations.
Mr. Wilders has called for the Qur’an to be banned and compared it to Hitler’s “Mein Kampf,” and has branded Islam a violent religion.
After a strong immigration wave in the 1990s, Muslims make up around 6 per cent of the 16.5 million Dutch population.
A popular backlash against immigration has dominated politics here since 2001, and it intensified in 2004 when filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered by a Muslim radical over perceived religious insults.
That further fuelled debate over immigrant crime and the need to preserve traditional Dutch values. The AEL says Mr. Wilders and Dutch media are creating a hostile environment for Muslims, worsening discrimination.
Maybe we should riot?
Ye i guess a semi mocking cartoon of a religous muslim prophet is the same thing as a mocking cartoon of an occurence were millions of people were inhumanely slaughtered. I guess its a double standard.
Ann Frank was betrayed by a Dutchman.
the judges were affraid they would be killed if they voted other.
The cartoon doesn’t even make sense.
The next cartoon should mock the many slaughtered arab armies at the hands of Israel, how many arabs does it take to win a war? Trick question, they don’t win wars.
The article states:
“Public prosecutors had demanded a C2,500 ($3,350) fine against the league and a C1,250 fine against its chairman “
What currency is represented by “C”? Holland, as a constituent member of the European Union, uses the EURO – not this mythical “C”.
the cartoon of Muhamed and bomb turban everywhere. That is a funny cartoon that makes sense.
If Arabs published cartoons mocking Moshe or Jesus, neither Jews nor Christians would riot, threaten violence and call for a holy war.
Depicting a genocide is not comparable at all. But, even if it is, no one is protesting by murdering people.
The Netherlands is a loser country.
we should expect some sort of natural disaster to hit netherland very soon
What’s the “chidush”, that the Islamists hate us??
Oh,nebach, i’ts creating a hostile environment for Muslims. So who is forcing them to live there? There are 26 Muslim countries (which never create a hostile environment for other religionists). Why the h— don’t the leave? Better, why the h— aren’t they kicked out?????
Auf wiedersehen, Europe. You won’t be missed.