Thursday, August 09, 2007

Ban the Koran?

From the Telegraph today via Dhimmi Watch:

The Koran should be banned as a “fascist book” alongside Mein Kampf because it urges Muslims to kill non-believers, says Dutch populist MP Geert Wilders.

The leader of the far-right Freedom Party, which holds nine of the Dutch parliament's 150 seats has called for the ban after an alleged Islam inspired attack on a Labour councillor who had renounced the Muslim faith.

Mr Wilders claims that the Koran “calls on Muslims to oppress, persecute or kill Christians, Jews, dissidents and non-believers, to beat and rape women and to establish an Islamic state by force”.

"Ban this wretched book like Mein Kampf is banned!,” he wrote in yesterday's De Volkskrant newspaper.
The response was fast an furious.
Els Lucas, a Dutch lawyer, has filed a compliant to the country's prosecutor demanding action against Mr Wilders for “insulting a section of the community”.

"I think he has gone too far and it is unseemly that a member of parliament expresses himself like this,” she said.

The offence is punishable with a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a fine of up to £11,300.
I do not think that Wilders is completely serious when he suggests banning the Koran. I do think that he wants to highlight the violence and subjugation mongering that is promoted within the texts.

Rather than keeping Muslims from reading the book (which he knows he cannot do) I think he is likely trying to get sleepy Dutch non-Muslims to read it. Would there be a better way for Wilders to prove his point?

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