Dutch MP banned from Britain over anti-Islam film

Britain has banned the Dutch MP Geert Wilders from coming to London to show his anti-Islam film Fitna at the Houses of Parliament, he told news agencies this evening.

The commentator Melanie Phillips (in whom I must declare an interest) says this demonstrates the extent of Britain's capitulation to Islamic terror.

Mr Wilders had been invited by Lord Pearson of Rannoch to show his 15-minute film, which criticizes the Koran as a “fascist book”, on Thursday.

But he was informed today in a letter from the British Embassy he would not be allowed into Britain.

The film sparked violent protests around the Muslim world last year for linking Koranic verses with footage of terrorist attacks. Mr Wilders has urged his government to ban the Koran and warned of a “tsunami” of Islam swamping the Netherlands.

In a telephone interview, Mr Wilders called the British government’s decision “cowardly” and vowed to defy it. “Let them try to detain me,” he told the Associated Press.

The Dutch Foreign Minister, Maxime Verhagen, said his government would press Britain to reverse the ban, adding that he “deeply regretted” that a Dutch lawmaker had been barred access.

The Home Office said it “opposes extremism in all its forms” and would work to “stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country”.

Lord Pearson said he was “very surprised that the British Government should ban a European citizen — and an elected Dutch MP at that — from coming to this country.” He called the Government’s decision “weak and unacceptable in the extreme.”

The UKIP peer said he took exception to some of Mr Wilders’ statements but wanted to show his film “precisely to uphold his right to freedom of speech, even if we disagree with what he’s saying.”

He added that he would do his best to help the Dutch MP show his film in Britain, despite the ban.

Mr Wilders, whose Freedom Party holds nine of Dutch parliament’s 120 seats, said he was shocked by the travel ban.

“We are talking here about a European Union country, one of the oldest democracies in the Western world,” he said.

The Old Holborn blog has what it says is a copy of the letter sent to Mr Wilders on behalf of Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary. It says:

“The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Secretary of State is of the view that your presence in the UK would pose a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to one of the fundamental interests of society.

“The Secretary of State is satisfied that your statements about Muslims and their beliefs, as expressed in your film Fitna and elsewhere, would threaten community harmony and therefore public security in the UK. You are advised that should you travel to the UK and seek admission an Immigration Officer will take into account the Secretary of State’s view.

“If, in accordance with regulation 21 of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006, the Immigration Officer is statisfied that your exclusion is justified on grounds of public policy and/or public security, you will be refused admission to the UK under regulation 19. You would have a right of appeal against any refusal of admission, exercisable from outside the UK.”

The letter is signed “Irving N. Jones, On behalf of the Secretary of State for the Home Department”.

Posted at February 10, 2009 08:48 PM