Illegal Representatives of an Illegal Party

As reported earlier, a courageous Belgian citizen was recently forced to leave a swearing-in ceremony in Anderlecht when he rose to object to the accession of a member of the sharia-promoting Islam Party to the local town council.

Alain Wagner is the leader of the Stop Sharia campaign in France and a co-founder of the International Civil Liberties Alliance (ICLA). Last Sunday Alain led an ICLA-sponsored demonstration in Brussels against the installation of two members of the Islam Party on town councils. He correctly pointed out that Islamic law violates not only Belgian law, but the European Convention on Human Rights.

Many thanks to Michael Laudahn for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:

Transcript:

00:00		Demonstration of 2 December 2012, Brussels Speech held by Alain Wagner (ICLA France)
00:29		Good morning.
00:33		What we experience today is a triple crisis.
00:37		It is an institutional crisis, it is a democratic crisis,
00:41		and it is a European crisis. We are having a party
00:45		in Belgium which for the first time in Europe overtly
00:49		goes in for Sharia. This is a grave concern.
00:54		Do you know what this is, Sharia? Many people don’t know
00:58		what is Sharia. Their representatives say: ‘we are democrats,
01:02		and we want Sharia.’ But you need to know what Sharia represents.
01:06		Sharia is a law which legitimizes violence.
01:10		It is a law that legitimizes conjugal rape.
01:14		It is a law that legitimizes slavery.
01:18		Yes, slavery is
01:23		legal, according to the rules of Sharia. This is a law that legitimizes killing
01:27		women for adulterous reasons. This is a law that legitimizes killing
01:31		people who leave Islam, apostates, homosexuals, people
01:35		expressing unfavourable opinions about the Islamic religion and the prophet.
01:39		All this is Sharia. You need to know.
01:43		This is an extremely grave concern. And it is not only me saying this, do not trust my words.
01:48		Get your own information. Sharia was declared
01:52		incompatible with democratic principles by the European Court of Human
01:56		Rights. 13 February
02:00		2003: The upper chamber declares that Sharia is incompatible
02:04		with democratic principles. In its application, Sharia entails
02:08		the destruction of democracy and human rights.
02:12		Then, some of you will say : these 2people, this Islam party
02:16		are legal, hasn't been prohibited, these persons have been elected,
02:20		democratically, all of it legal - but no.
02:25		No, it is not legal. And why is it not legal?
02:29		Quite simply because Belgium,
02:33		like all European countries, has signed a document called the European Convention
02:37		on Human Rights. Our democratic countries,
02:41		the states, respecting human rights, have the duty to protect
02:45		human rights. I will read one only of its articles for you.
02:49		Article 17
02:53		of the European Convention on Human Rights, the article which everyone
02:58		in this country has neglected, which everyone in Europe has neglected.
03:02		The prohibition of abuse of rights: 'Nothing in this Convention
03:06		may be interpreted as implying
03:10		for any State, group or person any right
03:14		to engage in any activity or perform any act aimed at
03:18		the destruction on any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.'
03:22		Thus no, ladies and gentlemen, the Islam party is not
03:27		legal. It does not have the right to maintain activities aiming at
03:31		the destruction of human rights, and the installation of Sharia, even partially,
03:35		is an attack against human rights. Thus this party is illegal.
03:39		The so-called elected representatives of this party
03:43		are not legal. There has been a grave misdemeanor
03:47		committed by the state, who omitted to demand respect for this convention.
03:51		Let me remind you that this is an international treaty
03:56		signed by Belgium, signed by France, signed by all European states. We must protect
04:00		human rights. By letting this party act, we participate
04:04		in the destruction of human rights. This is not possible.
04:08		Thus, we have a state crisis, a crisis of the political class in general,
04:12		except M Modrikamen (Parti Populaire, his neighbor there). Where are those politically responsible?
04:17		Where are they? Shame on them! Where are the journalists?
04:21		Where are the intellectuals? Where are they?
04:25		Shame on those people!
04:29		Human rights are in danger, and they do nothing.
04:33		They say nothing. If today a Nazi party were to show up,
04:37		presenting its candidates, what would be the reaction of journalists,
04:41		politicians? They would shout 'scandal!', they would shout 'horror!'.
04:45		And here, the situation is exactly the same.
04:49		If you claim to be a Sharia proponent, you are a killer of human rights,
04:53		you are a killer of democracy, and you are someone who
04:58		approves the use of violence, for let me remind you: Sharia authorizes the
05:02		use of individual and collective violence, for religious reasons.
05:06		How is it possible that a party going in
05:10		for sharia is authorized in our countries? It is not,
05:14		normally. So today, Two roads are open for you,
05:18		Belgium is in the centre of History.
05:22		You have two ways before you to choose, a way of cowardice, concessions and silence,
05:26		or a way of courage, of ethic action and respect of the law.
05:31		You will be the first
05:35		confronted to this incredible event: a political party going in
05:39		for Sharia, and which has representatives in a democracy. This is not possible.
05:43		Belgium will be the open door, the first open door
05:47		in Europe, in the western democracies, for a party that promotes Sharia?
05:51		Or will you refuse it?
05:55		Here, we are not numerous, but
05:59		A small number of persons knowing what they do,
06:03		and who communicate around them can change things. Communicate
06:08		with those you voted for, communicate with all the other political parties, this is not
06:12		a problem concerning one party, this is a problem concerning
06:16		all political parties, to the entire Belgian nation, and even beyond
06:20		the Belgian nation. This is why, being French, have come here, this is a issue
06:24		concerning all of Europe. Today
06:28		the first issue arises here in Belgium. So it is up to you to take the
06:32		decision, the first decision, and to set an example, possibly
06:37		to all of Europe. You have the possibility to be the people who will give an example
06:41		to all of Europe. To enter history as the people having said: No to
06:45		sharia!