Geert Wilders - A Xenophobe Redeemed

letter to the Ottawa Citizen - published May 15, 2011

What makes Geert Wilders so odious is that he attacks an entire group based on ethnicity and religion. Meanwhile, Ezra Levant and other hard-right commentators are making a naked attempt to rehabilitate a very bigoted man by citing freedom of speech.

Levant in particular is guilty of this. If he had written an article saying, “You may not agree with everything John Gotti says, but there are a lot of Italian-Americans involved in organized crime” that would be viewed as racist.

In fact, Levant referred to this repulsive demagogue as "the bravest man in Europe" during what was doubtless a command performance at the N.A.C. The Sun media reporter has very skillfully hidden behind Wilders to promote beliefs he clearly shares. Of course, if Levant had the courage of his own convictions he would simply state himself that the Koran should be banned and burned and that Muslims are backward, violent and stupid.

Now, if he had instead stated Islamic extremism is a major issue and needs to be discussed, fine. But he goes beyond expressing that legitimate (though problematic and simplistic) opinion. The right-wing media hides behind free speech to promote a man who is an extremist himself. What does the subjective observation that “Our (Western) civilization is far superior” to the Islamic one contribute to the discussion?

Wilders offers a simple solution to a nervous Dutch nation unsure of how to cope with immigration. But the Netherlands is an established, ethnic nation-state, and Canada is a country of immigrants. We can deal with this – there is no “Islamic tide”.

The fact that this anti-Islamic tide - which is barely-disguised racism - is starting up while thousands in the Islamic world put their lives on the line to fight for freedom and government accountability is astonishing.

Let’s remember how the Irish were once viewed in North America – drunken, violent, criminal-minded and shifty. They were marginalized whenever possible. The fact is, there was a lot of crime and violence in that community once upon a time. But it wasn’t because they were Catholics, or because they spoke the Irish language, or because they were genetically pre-disposed to be criminals.

It was because of poverty, lack of education and opportunity. And that’s the true source of all extremism since the dawn of time – except perhaps Ezra Levant’s.