Announcing the International Free Press Society

Regular readers are familiar Lars Hedegaard, the Danish author and historian who founded Trykkefrihedsselskabet (the Free Press Society).

And Diana West, the syndicated columnist and author of The Death of the Grownup, needs no introduction.

Lars and Diana have teamed up to launch an international version of Trykkefrihedsselskabet, the International Free Press Society. It’s my great privilege to have been involved in the formation of the organization, and the website for IFPS (freepresssociety.org) is now up and running.

Yesterday’s announcement of the prosecution of Geert Wilders added urgency to the launch of IFPS, since Mr. Wilders is a member of our advisory board. The board also includes the following advisors:

Asger Aamund		Roger Kimball
Bat Ye’or		Ezra Levant
Helle Merete Brix		Andrew C. McCarthy
Stephen Coughlin		Nidra Poller
Rachel Ehrenfeld		Roger Scruton
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.		Kathy Shaidle
David Harris		Sam Solomon
Ole Hasselbalch		Robert Spencer
Ibn Warraq		Mark Steyn
Hans Jansen		Brad Thor
Ehsan Jami		Allen West
Philippe Karsenty		Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi

The mission of the IFPS, like its Danish predecessor, is to champion the right of free expression, especially for those who hold controversial or unpopular opinions. Free speech is under assault all across the Western world, but due to the unprecedented attack on Geert Wilders, our initial focus will be on his case in the Netherlands.

To quote from yesterday’s press release:

January 22, 2009 — Washington, DC and Copenhagen, Denmark: A Dutch court yesterday ordered the criminal prosecution of Geert Wilders, Dutch parliamentarian and leader of the Freedom Party (PVV), for his statements — written, spoken and filmed -regarding Islam. The Amsterdam Court of Appeals has deemed such statements “insulting,” declaring that they “substantially harm the religious esteem” of Muslims.

Clearly, the effect of this Dutch court order is to set new limits to public debate in Dutch society, in this case about the highly controversial but nonetheless crucially important subject of Islam. This makes the prosecution of Geert Wilders an unacceptable breach of the sanctity of freedom of speech in Western society.

Having ordered a criminal prosecution for the opinions of a duly elected leader of a legitimate political party, Dutch authorities have dealt a devastating blow to political expression. While Dutch prosecutors prepare their indictment and Geert Wilders’ future hangs in limbo, who in The Netherlands will dare discuss political and cultural matters related to Islam — Islamic law, Islamic integration, Islamic crime, Islamic policy — openly, freely and fearlessly? The chilling effect is instantaneous. If, indeed, Wilders is ultimately convicted, free speech will cease to exist in the heart of Europe.

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The International Free Press Society believes this court-ordered prosecution against Geert Wilders, a central figure in the fight against the Islamization of the West, amounts to a dangerous concession to the strictures of Islamic law, which prohibits all criticism of Islam, over Western traditions of, and rights to robust and unfettered debate. As such, it is tantamount to a surrender to totalitarian influences that undermine all Western freedoms. And as such, it must be resisted.

It is important to recall recent history. Two Dutchmen, Pim Fortuyn and Theo van Gogh, have been murdered for their outspoken opposition to Islamization in The Netherlands. Another Dutch politician, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, has been infamously forced into exile. Wilders alone now carries this debate over Islam in Dutch society forward — forcefully but logically, outspokenly but reasonably, and always peacefully. In order to do so, this member of Dutch parliament lives in a virtual prison, consigned to 24-hour guard by Islamic death threats against his life. Now, Dutch authorities have ordered him to be prosecuted for the Orwellian crime of committing “insulting” words.

As Wilders puts it, “If I have to stand trial, I will not stand trial alone, but also with the hundreds of thousands of Dutch people who reject the Islamization of The Netherlands.” He will also stand trial with those in The Netherlands and beyond who reject government prosecutions of free speech. In recognition of this dire situation, the IFPS immediately calls on every supporter of free speech to come to the aid of Geert Wildest assist in this effort, the IFPS has launched an international campaign in defense of Geert Wilders and his freedom of speech.

To support these efforts, we urge you to contribute to the Geert Wilders Defense Fund. Donation information can be found at the IFPS website at http://www.internationalfreepresssociety.org.

We also urge defenders of free speech to sign this letter of protest against the Dutch Government

htp://www.petitiononline.com/wilders/petition.html

Lars Hedegaard
President of the IFPS
lhedegaard@freepressmonitor.com

Diana West
Vice President
dwest@freepressmonitor.com

I urge you to visit the IFPS site and sign the petition if you haven’t already done so. You can also register for email alerts. Our plan is to feature the work of writers from all over the world, writings that might otherwise be suppressed.

We’re just getting started. More initiatives and events are in the planning stages, and will be announced in the future.

Stay tuned.