Jordan Charges Dutch Politician With Blasphemy

A Jordanian prosecutor on Tuesday charged Dutch politician Geert Wilders with blasphemy and contempt of Muslims for making an anti-Koran film and ordered him to stand trial in the kingdom, judicial sources said.

In Riyadh, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), a league of 56 Muslim nations, said it was “deeply annoyed” after Dutch prosecutors said on Monday they would not take action against Wilders as he was protected by the right to free speech.

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Dutch prosecutors also received complaints about comments Wilders made in newspaper interviews including one in which he compared Islam’s holy book to Hitler’s Mein Kampf.

The OIC said the prosecutors’ decision showed they ignored the “thin line separating freedom of speech and the instigation of hatred, animosity and discrimination.”

Judicial sources in Amman said Jordanian prosecutor Judge Abdallat had charged Wilders after a legal complaint by a coalition of Jordanian activists and community leaders.

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But [Wilders] said he was concerned about the Jordanian case against him which could limit his freedom to travel.

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Right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders is planning a sequel to his anti-Muslim film “Fitna,” the local daily De Telegraaf reported Tuesday. {snip}

About 40 complaints were filed against Wilders by both Muslim and non-Muslim organizations in the Netherlands after “Fitna” was released on the Internet. A number of those groups are thought to be considering appeals against the Dutch Prosecutors decision.

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