A Muslim’s Defense of Geert Wilders
Melody Moezzi
Author, Speaker, Activist, Attorney
As an independent Muslim woman who doesn’t appreciate being told what to do, say, wear, read or write, I have a special place in my heart filled with disgust for those who embrace the bigoted ideologies of Islamophobes like Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders. But as an outspoken writer and attorney, I also have a special—and much larger—place in my heart filled with respect and adoration for human liberty.
So, when I found out that Mr. Wilders, leader of the Netherlands’ increasingly influential anti-immigration, anti-Islam so-called Freedom Party, was on trial for inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims, my reaction was mixed. Initially, I was overcome with what could only be described as pure schadenfruede. But then, my delight in what I sincerely hoped was his supreme misery quickly turned into annoyance and then outrage at the prospect of such an attack on free speech.
Granted, Mr. Wilders has compared the Holy Qur’an to Hitler’s Mein Kampf. He has claimed that Islam is not a religion, but rather “an ideology of a retarded culture.” He has stated that Islam is out to destroy all of Western civilization and that “not one more” Muslim ought to be allowed to immigrate into the Netherlands. And most absurd of all, amid all his bombast, he has insisted that he has no problem with “Muslim people,” just their “retarded” fascist ideology that he refuses to acknowledge as a bona-fide religion. In short, it’s not us he hates, but rather, everything about us.
(Hat tip: Raquel E Saraswati)
