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Geert Wilders visited Denmark yesterday and was interviewed by Danish television. He had very admiring words to say about Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and evidently expected a reciprocal attitude from the prime minister.
But it was not to be.
It seems that Mr. Rasmussen considers Mr. Wilders too radioactive to touch, even for a Danish politician. The prime minister issued a statement: “I strongly condemn Geert Wilders’ condescending statements about Muslims.”
Steen, whose post is entitled “Geert Wilders in Denmark and Fogh in BonBon Land” discusses the events at Snaphanen. He has an embedded video of the interview (the surrounding text is in Danish, but the interview is in English).
Mr. Wilders answered questions about his movie and talked about his concerns over the growing Islamization of Europe. Concerning the Koran, he told the interviewer, “I think it is a fascist book.” Also, “We should stop at least the immigration of people from Muslim countries.”
The interview is excellent. Mr. Wilders had eminently sensible things to say about the erosion of European national identities, the encroachment of sharia, the rule of law, and other issues dear to the hearts of Gates of Vienna readers. Given the sentiments of the average Dane, Mr. Rasmussen’s reaction is mystifying.
Here’s the story from Reuters:
Danish PM condemns views of Dutch film-maker- - - - - - - - -
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Wednesday distanced himself from remarks made by an anti-Muslim populist Dutch film-maker, saying he condemned attempts to demonize religious or ethnic groups.
Geert Wilders, who is also a right-wing lawmaker, praised Rasmussen in a Danish television interview for backing freedom of speech after local newspapers reprinted satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, and criticized Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende for bowing in the face of Muslim anger.
“I strongly condemn Geert Wilders’ condescending statements about Muslims,” Rasmussen said in a statement. “I find these expressions extremely offensive,” he added.
Wilders plans this month to show a 15-minute video which criticizes the Muslim holy book, the Koran, despite appeals from the Dutch government and mounting unrest in the Muslim world.
In the interview with Denmark’s DR TV, Wilders said he wanted to “combat the threat of the growing Islamisation of Western society.”
Rasmussen, who angered Muslims by refusing to take action against Danish media that published the cartoons, said he wished to disassociate himself completely from Wilders’ views and rejected the Dutch lawmakers’ “attempt at associating his views to those of the Danish Government.”
[…]
Wilders said the cartoonist Kurt Westergaard had received better support in the face of Muslim wrath from Rasmussen than he himself had seen from the Dutch prime minister.
“I wish we had such a prime minister in Holland,” Wilders said. “Unfortunately we have a coward that does not hold firm on the constitution’s words about freedom of expression,” he added.
[…]
Rasmussen said Wilders’ remarks about Muslims were “so insulting” that he wished to hear no group in Danish society referred to in such a manner.
A rumor is circulating in Denmark that Anders Fogh Rasmussen has ambitions for a top post in the European Union, perhaps the presidency. That might explain his sudden conversion to politically correct Orthodox Multiculturalism.
In a related story, the Brussels Journal reports that a Moroccan youth organization in the Netherlands has called for Geert Wilders’ voters and supporters to be killed.
Hat tips: TB and Steen.
10 comments:
Anders "Fool" Rasmussen is in free fall. Vanity and limelight is a dangerous mix. He's now aiming for the "capo di tutti capi" title in the EU - luckily without a chance whatsoever, what with being Danish - sort of. Morale & dignity are substances decaying faster than one can say "egoticism" as soon as a little dough is in sight. What a shame...
For those who read Danish we anicipated this a fortnight ago.
Thus speaks a man (AFR) who doesn't know what he is talking about! It is embarrassing to witness time after time that politicians (and others) are talking about the Qu'ran without knowing what it says or even having made the effort to read it. Granted it is not as easy to read as the Bible, due to the way it is structured and without chronological context included in the Qu'ran itself, but if just a few more politicians would make the effort to read and understand the message of the Qu'ran it would help getting out of the naïtivity those politician show towards Islam.
Geert Wilders have obviously read the Qu'ran and knows what he is talking about, AFR unfortunately doesn't.
Fortunately the Danish People's Party (DPP) is on Geert Wilder's side and called AFR's dismissal of Geert Wilders embarrassing and incomprehensible...
Rasmussen is a politician, not a leader. A politician calculates that at this point in time, defending Muslims will get him more votes perhaps in critical constituencies than he will lose. After all, he reasons, there is no widely acceptable party to the right of his centrist left views so even those miffed by his kowtowing to the invaders have nowhere else to go. However, even a self-involved politician should realize that he will be an unacceptable leader for the future Muslim majority he is enabling. Perhaps he figures, "Apres moi, le deluge".
A leader would say and do what's right, regardless of whether it is popular or not (Churchill, Reagan)and by the force of his arguments and personality make a majority of the electorate follow him. Even if he cannot convince the sheep, he will go down in history as a man of principle rather than just a vote chaser.
Rasmussen also calculates that angry Muslims will disturb the peace but Danes angry at being colonized will fume in a civilized manner.
We see from the Tibetans that eventually, even the most peaceful worm will turn but as in their case, too late. When you give in to the thugs for too long, in the end, all that is left is that last bright flame of resistance before it gutters out completely and there is cultural death.
This is pretty awful. Anders Fogh used to be very solid, but his grip has been wavering lately. A recurring speculation is that he has been promised a top EU position (like president), and thus has to abstain from saying anything that could cause trouble. That notion is really recurring in MSM reports, which is interesting - just about everyone metions the idea.
What he should be saying, of course, is that the points of view of Wilders are none of his concern, neither concerning the movie or his views in general, but that, as a matter of principle, Wilders can count of all kinds of protection needed for his launch. This is what we have states (and taxes) for anyway, isn't it?
I'm getting to the point where I think we need to throw out most of our politicians and get new ones. The ones infected with EUphoria are useless, all of them.
Rasmussen's stance is very troubling, and reminds me of the ferocity with which Charles Johnson ceaselessly attacked the VB and the Sweden Democrats: where obvious allies should join forces, one party, out of degenerated political correctness, chooses to split ranks instead.
And the only party who laughs are... you know who.
Ver, very troubling indeed. Geert Wilders, go on and finally release your movie!
It is a recurring phenomenon - people who stick their neck out appararently feel they have done their bit, and are very wary of the wrong associations..:Fortuyn refused to be associated with Filip de Winter, Filip de Winter is critical about Wilders' 'tone' -
Wilders did not want to second the motion to guarantee Hirsi Ali's security, and Johnson is as cagey as a young faculty-wife who shuns old classmates because they may not flatter her background..
It 's pity - in so doing they devaluate what they have sacrificed earlier, and so it has all been for nothing
It is very hard to be heroic, I'm sure.
How exactly do you "demonize" a "religion" founded by a plagiarizing pedophile, self-declared liar, shameless thief, treaty-breaking criminal, assassin of women poets, misogynist, and bloodthirsty, intolerant, tyrannical warlord, Mr. Rasmussen?
Something's foghed-up with this Dane's vision.
Cowardice, I'm guessing, is the key.
Baron, I must add - after second thoughts - that Fogh could have a totally pragmatical reason for his position : He may not bee to keen to hook up with a european bomb, set off to explode in a few weeks.
I really should not blame him, all I did.
Geert Wilder is a upstanding man and should be commended for not backing down on what he believes - especially considering he is right.
Contemptible, but what do you expect? Fogh is being considered for the new, unelected post of "President" of the EU. He was bought out by the promise of a bigger prize than prime minister of Denmark. Very sad. Is there no statesman who will stand unequivocably for the West, and for Western people? No one cares about us except as tax cows to support mass Third World immigration.
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