Friday - August 31, 2007

Belgium Represses Free Speech

In Belgium, an appeals court has upheld the ban against a protest against the "Islamisation" of Europe. Doesn't our left always hold up the continent as a paragon of political virtue? Yet, in the heart of the EU, a march is banned because it might hurt the feelings of others. The mayor of Brussel's refused to issue a permit for the march because it might offend Muslims.

Don't most politically motivated marches tend to offend one group or another in the first place?  But it seems in this case, Muslims are a protected segment of society.

Better to let the market place of ideas decide the legitimacy of "Stop the Islamisation of Europe" or SOIE's message than to suppress it.  Suppressed messages tend to take on a life of their own.

And to be truthful, SOIE could be a racist, skinhead group, but how are we to know, if we can't hear and judge their message.

A Belgian appeals court has upheld the ban of an anti-Islam protest planned for 11 September in Belgium's capital - the sixth anniversary of al-Qaeda's attacks against US cities on 11 September, 2001.

The organisers of the planned 'Stop the Islamisation of Europe' protest (SOIE) failed to prove the ban causes them "irreparable damage," Belgium's Council of State, an administrative appeals court, ruled late Wednesday.

Europeans who oppose what they call the 'Islamisation' of Europe announced in July their intention to hold the protest outside the European Parliament building in Brussels. But the city's mayor Freddy Thielemans earlier this month banned the demonstration, saying it could spark clashes with the Muslim community.

Ugo Ulfkotte, one of the organisers of the planned protest then appealed against Thielemans' ban.

SOIE includes the Danish anti-Islam protest party SIAD , the Dutch group 'No Sharia Here' and the German anti-Muslim group Pax Europa. SOIE also has support from Belgium's far-right Vlaams Belang party.

It calls itself "an alliance of people across Europe with the single aim of preventing Islam becoming a dominant political force in Europe."

Since 2001, Thielemans has approved more than 3,500 demonstrations in Brussels and banned six, including SOIE's.

Author: The Machiavellian
Technorati Tags: Belgium SOIE
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