Balder Blog

Bolkestein supports Rutte - Rutte talks to Jews - Van Baalen wants 'deniers' prosecuted, and so does Danish EU parliament candidate Peter Norsk...

HILVERSUM - VVD celebrity Frits Bolkestein [former Chairman of the centre right VVD and European Commissioner for the internal market] supports his party leader Mark Rutte's advocacy for expanding the limits of free speech, which would have the consequence that denial of the holocaust would no longer be a punishable offense in all cases.

	Frits Bolkestein - Free Speech

During the TV-program 'Knevel & Van den Brink' Bolkestein argued Tuesday night, that it is better to engage in a debate about subjects such as this, than to forbid certain things to be said. 'Otherwise it will go underground'.

Bolkestein says that he understands that there has been some unrest in the VVD about Rutte's points of view, but 'all in all', he supports it.

The honorary member of the VVD [Voor Vrijheid en Demokratie - For Freedom and Democracy] showed a positive attitude about Ruttes leadership in spite of the party's bad results in recent polls*.

Bolkestein finds Rutte 'an excellent debater'.

He stressed the fact that he himself as a new party leader had needed time in order to develop himself.

* many voters probably defected to Geert Wilders' more radical Freedom Party (PVV) which is having a massive succes in recent polls, because of it sensible approach to immigration and strong anti European Union stances. Wilders was a MP for the VVD before he started his own party.

Source:

De Telegraaf June 3, 2009 - Bolkestein steunt Rutte

Rutte speaks with Jews after commotion about Holocaust

	Uriel Rosenthal - VVD - COT

AMSTERDAM - VVD leader Mark Rutte is going to have talks with Jewish organizations about his proposal to expand freedom of expression. After he presented his plan, there was a lot of commotion about Rutte's statement that the holocaust may be denied.

In the wake of the controversy the co-authors of Rutte's proposal and the leader of the VVD-fraction Uri Rosenthal sat down and talked last Thursday with the Jewish community. Rutte could not be there, because as Chairman of the party he had to partake in the parlamentary discussion in Parliament. He promised to speak in person with the Jewish organizations, he said Sunday night in the TV-program 'Buitenhof'.

Rutte does not regret his remarks and doesn't think there is any reason to offer excuses. 'But I entirely understand the sensitivities,' he said.

Source:

De Telegraaf may 31, 2009 - Rutte spreekt met Joden na ophef over Holocaust

Hans van Baalen: Holocaust denial to remain a criminal offense

	Hans van Baalen - No Free Speech

AMSTERDAM - VVD candidate to the European Parliament Hans van Baalen thinks 'holocaust-deniers must be prosecuted.

This is his reaction to the remarks of party leader Mark Rutte, who said last week that he thinks holocaust denial sorts under freedom of speech.

'I will do everything within my power to let denial of the holocaust remain a criminal offence', van Baalen said. [Hans van Baalen is known for his strong support for the state of Israel]

Rutte said this week that denial of the holocaust does not always have to be an offense.

His statements caused commotion in the party ranks.

Source:

De Telegraaf may 29, 2009 - Van Baalen: Holocaust ontkennen strafbaar

Comment: Coincidental? How come it's always 'friends of Israel' who so very often are against free speech, and so very often defend torture, Guantanamo Bay, and so very often dream loudly of a nuclear holocaust of the Iranian people?

Revisionism in Denmark

In Denmark so far we have no 'holocaust-denial laws',.. yet. But of course there's always somebody who wishes for them. Such a person is one candidate for the European Parliament for the Konservative, a centre right party just as the VVD in Holland. [Don't be too impressed by Danish practices though]

	Peter Norsk - Censorship promoter

The Danish patriotic organization 'Den Danske Forening' sent out two questions to all European Parliament candidates; here is one of them: The Council Framework Decision on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law of 26 February 2008 is not implemented in Danish legislation.

Should it be implemented fully, according to your opinion - and what are your arguments, whether positive or negative?

The Conservative candidate Peter Norsk answered:

'With the many cultures and ethnical groups that live in the EU, and wil increasingly do so the coming decades, I would be a supporter of common EU-laws for fighting strongly racist and anti-ethnic expressions ['Anti-ethnic' sic!]

For example I would be a supporter of criminalizing holocaust-denial, insulting religions, and / or condescending statements about people's skin color. It must be forbidden to yell 'death to the Jews' or to any other ethnic or religious group. It should be allowed to critize religion and religious value sets, but not to insult the individual practitioner of a specific religion alone on grounds of his or her beliefs.'

Comment: Where has Peter Norsk been? Doesn't he know that incitement to violence it is already forbidden and most of the rest he is asking for as well, except the right to have diffent opinions on history?

Comments in square brackets [..] captions and images added by Balder

Related:

VVD party leader Mark Rutte made headlines because he wanted to restore free speech in Holland, but most of the local as wel as the international media focussed entirely on his one short remark about the sacred cow of the western world, the holocaust. In the original TV broadcast Knevel & Van den Brink which gave rise to the disproportional commotion which once again unveiled the hypocracy that increasingly engulfs the western world, he touched on many more subjects though, such as the murder of Theo van Gogh, the political persecution of cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot, and Muslim hate preachers. Complete English translation of transscript of TV program which caused the commotion:
Balder Blog 5 juni 2009 - Holland: VVD’s Mark Rutte’s plea for more freedom of expression in the Netherlands - transscript   

Mark Rutte transscriptie interview Knevel & van den Brink - Holocaust ontkenning

Balder Blog June 3, 2009 - Denial of the Holocaust in Holland - The judicial aspects

Balder Blog 31 maj 2009 - Mark Rutte, formand for det hollandske liberale VVD vil afskaffe holocaust-benægter-love (Den konservative EU-kandidat Peter Norsk ønsker indførelse af holocaustbenægter lovgivning! mm.)

Haaretz 27 maj 2009 - Dutch liberal leader Mark Rutte: Holocaust denial should not be a crime

Balder.org - Articles about Holocaust, Zionism, Judaism, Jewish Censorship, Israel Lobby, persecution, Revisionism, Holocaust-denial

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Posted af Balder 03 Jun 2009 under Censur , EU - Globalisering , English , Forfølgelse - Persecution , Holocaust , Multikultur , Religion , Ytringsfrihed | | Direkte link | English Translation | Deutsche Übersetzung |

Tags: frits bolkestein hans van baalen Holland holocaust denial legislation mark rutte peter norsk uri rosenthal uriël rosenthal