Geert Wilders in Britain

On Friday, Dutch politician Geert Wilders visited the United Kingdom after successfully getting the ban on his entry overturned.

His legal team managed to argue that the restrictions placed on his freedom of movement, guaranteed under European law, were arbitrary and politically motivated.

The huge Muslim protests and violence which former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith allegedly feared, and figures such as Nazir Ahmed promised and revelled in, failed to materialise - which I suppose calls her judgment even further into question.

Despite this, between 20 and 40 hardcore extremists picketed Parliament, calling for Sharia law in The Netherlands and Britain, as well as for Mr Wilders to be tried under Islamic law for "insulting the prophet".

Mr Wilders called his visit, once again at the invitation of the UKIP peer Lord Pearson, "a victory for freedom of speech".

He wished to meet the press outside in front of the Houses of Parliament, but security officers apparently advised him that his tendency to provoke adherents of the Religion of Peace meant this was most unwise - they couldn't guarantee his safety, in other words, in the middle of London and the alleged centre of Britain's democracy.

It's very important that we recognise just who the violent extremists are in all this. Wilders was being victimised not because of his own behaviour, but because of the potential for others to commit widescale violence as a result of their disagreement with certain opinions:

However, on Tuesday the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal ruled there was no evidence to suggest he represented a real and serious threat to the "fundamental interest" of society.

The judges said that even if there had been evidence, it would still have been wrong to turn him away because in the event of any trouble the police would have been able to deal with it.

The Home Office said Mr Wilders' statements and behaviour during his visit "will inevitably impact on any future decisions to admit him".

Officials say his case differs from that of a larger number of individuals - including Islamic extremists and white supremacists - who are on a list of people excluded from Britain for "unacceptable behaviour".

The power to impose such exclusions was introduced in 2005, following the London bombings, and applies predominantly to non-EU nationals who would seek to "foster hatred or promote terrorism".

Yes, it's a shame that the behaviour and views of those Islamic protesters isn't enough to kick them out - but, as usual, their right to commit sedition or treason trumps our right to live in a safe society.

Here is one of these poor oppressed lambs inciting murder against Mr Wilders, and celebrating the violent deaths of other notable critics of Islam such as Theo van Gogh - it's a shame the police were watching for Mr Wilders to slip up so very closely, because otherwise they might have caught this:


I will be forwarding this video to the Metropolitan Police, and I would encourage any like-minded readers to do the same.

The day before his arrival in Britain, Mr Wilders appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live, where host Victoria Derbyshire took the opportunity to make sure he was shouted down by Muslims.

All the callers had what Al Murray would call "good British names": Shaz, Mohammed, Mahmood...

Obviously no actual British people wished to take the opportunity to interact with Mr Wilders - question him, congratulate him, criticise him, and there are a lot of angry and confused Muslims out there who aren't used to not getting their own way.

Callers often shouted over and interrupted Mr Wilders, accused him of saying things which he has not, and treated us to many lengthy diatribes about how Islam is tolerant, logical, practical, scientific, and generally equal to the Judeo-Christian West - despite the fact all of them choose to live here, of course.

You can listen to the clip here (second segment, about 38 minutes in), but it expires in two days - if anyone can record and YouTube it, please let me know.

Finally, here is Mr Wilders' Friday press conference from the House of Lords: