Politician refused entry to UK
12.02.09
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A right-wing Dutch politician banned from entering the UK over his anti-Islam views has been turned away after arriving at Heathrow Airport.
Geert Wilders was invited to Westminster by a member of the House of Lords to show his 17-minute film Fitna, which criticises the Koran as a "fascist book".
But on Tuesday he received a letter from the Home Office refusing him entry because his opinions "would threaten community security and therefore public security" in the UK.
Mr Wilders, a member of the Freedom Party in the Netherlands, condemned the British Government as "weak and cowardly" and vowed he would make the trip anyway.
He arrived at Heathrow's Terminal 1 on a BMI flight from Amsterdam at 2pm and was taken into a side room by immigration officials.
The politician told the Associated Press he was being returned to the Netherlands.
Mr Wilders has urged the Dutch government to ban the Koran and warned of a "tsunami" of Islam swamping the Netherlands.
His film sparked violent protests around the Muslim world last year for linking verses in the religious text with footage of terrorist attacks.
He has launched an appeal against an Amsterdam court's order that he should be prosecuted for hate speech.
Mr Wilders said he had already shown his film to Denmark's parliament and would take it to Italy and the US House of Representatives in the coming weeks.
Reader Views (4)
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.
Well done HMG, you have given this man more publicity than he could have ever dreamed of, and proved freedom of thought and speech is dead in the UK.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke
The british public should be allowed the view ALL extremists points of view, as how can we form an impartial opinion?
- Jim Alan, Lake District
And yet Muslim terrorists can fly hijacked planes into this country and be given asylum and granted access to all the benefits that this Christian country provides.
This government has destroyed the very fabric of our society.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
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