Wilders Acquitted of Inciting Religious Hatred

A court in the Netherlands has acquitted MP Geert Wilders of charges of inciting hatred and religious discrimination. In several comments and a film, Wilders portrayed Muslims and Islamic values as a threat to the democratic, secular Netherlands. Although the court condemned many of Wilders' statements, it ruled that they criticized Islam as a religion, not Muslims as a group and that the statements were made in the context of a public debate over Islam's place in the Netherlands. (Source: Radio Netherlands Worldwide)