Britannia Radio

A resume of views on the Radio today.     Apart from the government 
and a number of Liberal Democrats there is scarcely a public figure 
willing to jus
tify this ban .  The real reason was that the government is not 
willing to face down the extremists who promised massive 
demonstrations if Wilders came.  So the terrorists are in effect 
controlling our government.

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POLITICS HOME    12.2 09
COMMENTS
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Huhne: Wilders film is "revolting" and "is inciting people into 
violence"
07:38 | 12/02/2009

Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman
Today, Radio 4

Mr Huhne described the film Dutch MP Geert Wilders planned to show to 
members of the House of Lords as "revolting", [the 'revolting' bits 
are the results of Islamic atrocities -cs] and said there was a clear 
dividing line, "complete freedom of speech up to the point where you 
threaten others".

"Freedom of Speech is absolutely crucial.  [But he's against it! -cs] 
I don't take lightly that you should ban someone coming into the 
country. I think though in any civilised society there is a dividing 
line between freedom of speech and incitement to violence, incitement 
to hatred. [The violence and the hatred are fully documented and 
coming from the Islamists -cs]

"I've seen the film. It is revolting. It is inciting people into 
violence. I don't think any minority should be out any position where 
potentially they could be harmed.

"The dividing line is very clear - complete freedom of speech up to 
the point where you threaten others. At that point society must step 
in, whoever you are, whatever your background."
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Wilders "Raising the most important issue of our times", says Lord 
Pearson
11:18 | 12/02/2009

Lord Pearson, UKIP Peer
BBC News
Lord Pearson rejected suggestions that Dutch MP Geert Wilders was a 
racist, saying that he was raising "the most important issues of our 
times".

"He's certainly a very brave man and he's a very genuine man, and  
not trying to enflame or infuriate anyone," he said.
"He's just trying to get Western society to wake up and stand up to 
violent Islamists"

"Why is that racist?" he asked. The Muslim religion crosses all the 
races on the planet so what has he said that makes him a racist?"

He added: "The most important issue of our time which is Islamic 
militarism, which is violent jihad that is the issue that this man is 
raising and I think that should be discussed much more particularly 
among the vast majority of the mild Muslim community and I think they 
should talk about this much more and about what the Koran really 
means, they should discuss it with their violent coreligionists".

Asked if he would be as keen to protect the freedoe of speech of 
someone delivering anti-Semitic speeches in public, Lord Peason said 
he would but that such speeches would be  "justly ridiculed".
"It would be a good joke to come and listen to it," he said. "It 
happens at Hyde Park corner anyway doesn't it?

15:07 BBC News

Lord Pearson later added that it was extraordinary for the Foreign 
secretary to claim the Geert Wilders film is full of hate without 
having seen it, and claimed that the "film isn't offensive unless 
you're a violent Islamist".

"Neither I, nor Baroness Cox, agree with Mr Wilders that the Koran 
should be banned in Holland. We don't want it banned at all. But we 
do want it discussed.

"For the Foreign secretary to say that he hasn't seen the film, and 
that it is filled with hate is extraordinary. It is not filled with 
hate.

"We are going - ahead to show it anyway this afternoon. We are then 
going to have a panel, chaired by Baroness Cox.

"I can't see how we're encouraging violence. The film isn't offensive 
unless you're a violent Islamist.

"Would any of this happened had Mr Wilders said 'ban the bible'? Of 
course it would not have happened. You have to ask yourself why.

"I may be wrong - I don't agree with Wilders."
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Lord Ahmed: Wilders seeking publicity and "has no respect for law"
14:20 | 12/02/2009

Lord Ahmed, Labour MP
BBC News

Lord Ahmed said that Geert Wilders had no respect for the law, and 
his attempt to come to Britain was a publicity stunt.

"The man does not have any respect for law he wants to do it for 
publicity he's seeking that and he's getting that," he said.
He added: "He's done this in the past he's incited hatred and because 
of that he is indicted in his own country for inciting racial hatred
"If this man was allowed into this country he would certainly cause 
problems in communities across Britain"

14:35 Sky News
Later Lord Ahmed said freedom of speech had to have limits if it 
involved incitement to violence. [His Islamist bretheren need 
to ;earn that lesson -cs]
"Freedom of speech has to be balanced with responsibility and if your 
doing it to provoke and incite hatred and if you're doing it to 
provoke violence surely that should not be allowed," he said.
He also accused Mr Wilders of defying the British government so as to 
gain publicity.

"He still boarded on the plane because he wanted to show us the 
British government and the British public that he can defy them and 
he wants to be thrown out rather than accept the letter [from the 
Home Secretary]".
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Miliband: Wilders ban follows the laws of the land
15:12 | 12/02/2009


David Miliband, Foreign Secretary
BBC News

Mr Miliband said that the Home Secretary was following "the laws of 
the land" by refusing Geert Wilders entry to the UK.
"What the Home Secretary did was follow the laws of the land," he 
said, adding that she had "made a decision on that case given the 
hate filled nature of that film"

Mr Miliband, described Mr Wilders film as "a hate filled film 
designed to stir up religious and racial hatred and is contrary to 
our laws".
Though he admitted he had not seen the film, but added: "You and I 
both know what is in that film
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Wilders: Brown is biggest coward in Europe
15:56 | 12/02/2009

Geert Wilders, Dutch MP
BBC News

Mr Wilders branded Gordon Brown the "biggest coward in Europe", 
following his ban from entering the UK and added that today had been 
a "very sad day" for the freedom of speech.

"I wasn't welcome in the UK and I was detained, they took my passport 
and would send me away within 1 or 2 hours.

"I hope that still the UK government would not be that cowardly and 
would change their tune. I saw the editorial in The Times that 
disagreed with what I said but said I should be able to say it.

"It is a very sad day it proves that your Prime Minister Gordon Brown 
is the biggest coward in Europe.

"How can that be possible I was four or five weeks ago a guest in the 
House of Lords - there was no problem at that time, why did they let 
me in then, I don't know what changed their mind. I have not done 
anything wrong, I am not protesting through the streets of London.

"Lets talk to one another speak to one another and if we have 
difference then democracy means debate and difference - really the 
country took centuries back by banning an elected parliamentarian.

I believe a discussion is always better than barring people and 
sending them away."
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Taverne: Banning of Wilders "beggars belief"
17:10 | 12/02/2009

Lord Taverne, Lib Dem peer
BBC News

Lord Taverne said he believed the ban of Geert Wilders to the UK was 
nonsense and it was incorrect for someone to not be able to hold or 
express views at a private viewing of the film.

"I got very stong support in the House of Lords from someone who 
chairs a Muslim organisation who said this type of person should not 
be gagged.

The government does not have all that good record on freedom and 
protection of freedom, with 42 days for example. [The government 
doesn't give a fig for freedom and is totally authoritarian -cs] The 
House of Lords has a very good record with subjects of this nature.

"This beggars belief - of course a balance needs to be struck but on 
this occasion there has never been a case of an EU citizen committing 
no offence and not being allowed entry in a country for something 
that would have been said in private room, it is nonsense.

"You can't allow strong views held against someone to prejudice the 
right of freedom speech unless it is going to be a case of violence."
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Vaz: "We're not obliged to let everybody in"
18:20 | 12/02/2009

Keith Vaz, Chairman, Home Affairs Select Committee
BBC News

Mr Vaz said the Home Secretary was right to advise immigration 
officials to refuse Geert Wilders entry to the UK.

"It's the same decision as was made in February 2008 when a Muslim 
cleric was trying to enter the UK, and it was felt this was a threat 
to public security," said Mr Vaz.

He added: "We don't have absolute freedom of speech in this country, 
because there are laws to stop incitement of racial hatred and 
violence....he was told before he arrived that he would be refused 
admission... we're not obliged to let everybody in."

Asked if he felt the row over Mr Wilders' admission would give his 
controversial film more publicity, Mr Vaz said there was a difficult 
balance to maintain.

"The good thing is that his film isn't being shown now on the BBC 
News channel. I haven't seen the film, I gather it's been shown in 
the Palace of Westminster but very few people were there.

"I phoned a senior Dutch MP earlier on, and he was pleased this man's 
been refused entry to the UK...you have to have limits or people will 
get away with inciting hatred."