Congratulations are to be given to the Dutch Court System

Acceptance International congratulate the Dutch judiciary and calls on the courts of the world to follow in their example. 
A Dutch court has ordered prosecutors to put a right-wing politician on trial for making anti-Islamic statements.  
Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders made a controversial film last year equating Islam with violence, and has likened the Koran to Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. 
 
Acceptance International applauds the Dutch judiciary for ordering the prosecution of Geert Wilders because his work is intended to incite hatred against Islam and Muslims.  
 
On this occasion Acceptance International asks judicial authorities in all countries to follow the example of the Dutch judiciary and prosecute any person or institution working to incite hatred against any group, culture, or religion.  
We also call upon the United Nations to enact legislation in this regard in order to besiege calls for extremism, hatred and violence. At the same time we ask the UN to take every possible step to encourage the promotion of tolerance and acceptance among the members of human society, whatever the extent of differences among them.  
In this context, while we firmly commit our support and respect for the principle of freedom of expression, we cannot ignore the vast difference between freedom of expression and incitement to hatred. Freedom of speech should not be an excuse for statements and behaviour that encourage an increase of violence and ultimately threatens the peace in the world.  
 

Acceptance International  
Sweden  
24-1-2009  
www.shuhood.org