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ESW in the WSJ

by 1389AD ( 152 Comments › )
Filed under Censorship, Europe, Free Speech, Hate Speech, Leftist-Islamic Alliance, Media, Political Correctness, Tranzis at November 10th, 2010 - 8:30 am

Originally published at Gates of Vienna

Reprinted with permission.

Monday, November 08, 2010

Elisabeth's Voice (small)One of our readers just sent us excerpts from an article by Nina Shea and Paul Marshall in the Wall Street Journal about the growing threat to free speech in Europe. The authors focus mainly on Geert Wilders, of course, but they refer to other victims of “hate speech” prosecutions and Islamic lawfare, such as Philippe Val, Jussi Halla-aho, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Brigitte Bardot, and… Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff.

They even spelled Elisabeth’s name right, except for omitting the hyphen.

This is a major breakthrough for the American MSM. As far as I know, this is the first time that either Elisabeth or Jussi has seen the light of day in a major American media outlet.

The article is behind a subscription firewall, so I will post only some brief excerpts here:

We Need to Talk About Islam

Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders was threatened with criminal punishment for hate speech from the moment his anti-Koran film Fitna hit the internet in March 2008. Last month, a Dutch judicial oversight body ordered that he be tried anew after finding that judges in the first round of court proceedings appeared to be biased. Even if Mr. Wilders is ultimately acquitted, as his prosecutors themselves urge, he will have already been punished by years of costly and tiring legal wrangling.

But the greatest threat posed by this case is not to a lone Dutch firebrand, but to Europeans at large, whose fundamental freedoms of speech and religion are being steadily undermined. Those trying to repress these individual rights in the name of sensitivity are gaining ground with each case that upholds the state’s power to regulate the content of speech on Islam. Since Mr. Wilders’ defense does not challenge the legitimacy of hate-speech laws per se, but instead points to the specific facts of his case, even his acquittal would not alter this encroachment on core Western rights.

Religious hate-speech is not clearly defined in the Netherlands or elsewhere in Europe. Council of Europe standards emphasize the subjectivity of the offense, stating that, with respect to religion, “there is no right to offend,” that “gratuitously offensive” speech is not protected, and that there exists a new “right of citizens not to be insulted in their religious feelings.” In an attempt to carve out protections for political speech and social commentary, the Council distinguishes between speech that insults Muslims, which it forbids, and that which insults Islam or would be considered blasphemous, which it permits.

Mr. Wilders argues that his film and his other criticisms entail only the latter…

[…]

Former actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has been convicted and fined in five separate French cases for intemperate comments about Muslims, many focusing on animal cruelty in halal slaughter practices. In Austria, Elisabeth Sabaditsch Wolff is currently on trial for her lecture before an anti-immigration political party criticizing Muslim practices she observed abroad. For her, Geert Wilders, Brigitte Bardot, and others, their unease about Muslim immigration reflects their negative views of Islam itself.

Yes, it would be nice if the article also mentioned Gregorius Nekschot, Lionheart, Dahn Pettersson, Tomashot, Paul Belien, and all the other European citizens who have been persecuted for speaking out about Islam and Multiculturalism. But this is a good start.

Readers who have a subscription should go over to the Wall Street Journal and read the rest.

Update: A reader sends these useful instructions for accessing the entire article:

You can read the WSJ article by entering the URL in Google’s search box. The search returns the article in question on WSJ website; click that. It will fully load the article, because you are being referred from Google.

I just tried it, and he’s right: you can read the complete text, and even see the photo of Geert Wilders.


Previous posts about the hate speech case against Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff:

2009 Dec 5 Fighting a Hate Speech Charge in Austria
11 Heckling the Counterjihad
14 Whose Law?
17 Defaming the Muslims of Pinkafeld
2010 Mar 11 A Mother and an Activist
20 An Austrian “Hate School”
22 Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff at the Freedom Defense Initiative
29 Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff and the Wiener Akademikerbund
Sep 9 “Islam is a Political Ideology Disguised as a Religion”
16 “Justice Must Not Be Made the Handmaiden of Sharia”

We Are Elisabeth’s Voice

by 1389AD ( 156 Comments › )
Filed under Dhimmitude, Europe, Free Speech, Hate Speech, Islam, Koran, Leftist-Islamic Alliance, Liberal Fascism, Political Correctness at November 1st, 2010 - 8:30 am

The following posts are reprinted by permission from Gates of Vienna.


Elisabeth’s Voice: More Information

Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Elisabeth's Voice (small)Today is Day 5 of our appeal to help Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff fight a criminal charge for “hate speech” in Austria. See last Friday’s Elisabeth’s Voice post for the full story about what we are trying to do.

People who don’t use PayPal have been asking me about alternative ways to support Elisabeth. To get the bank information, use the “Donate” tab at the Save Free Speech site. It takes you to a how-to-donate page, which includes this information for bank transfers:

International payments:

Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich
IBAN: AT513150042908021602
BIC: RZBAATWW

Made out to: Public Notary Mag. Martin Scheichenbauer, Hemmaweg 5, A-9342 Gurk

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It’s important to realize that what you see here is only half of our operation; the other half is in German. The head of the German-language team reminded me: “Please don’t forget the support of German-speaking websites! The complete list, including German websites, is here. (regularly updated!)”

Since this time last night [Monday], we have added five new participants to the English-language list: Behind The Black, The Blogmocracy, ACT! For America, Right Wing Death Bogan, and Winds of Jihad.

We now have thirty participants on three continents…

A Bit More Media Attention?

Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Elisabeth's Voice (small)Mark Steyn continues to help amplify Elisabeth’s Voice. Here’s what he has to say in the updated feature on his main page:

While North America’s shrinking commitment to its free-speech inheritance is shameful, in many parts of Europe it’s even worse. Like Geert Wilders, like Lars Hedegaard, like Ezra Levant, Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff should not be on trial. Let’s help her get a bit more media attention.

Many thanks, Mr. Steyn!

We need a nice Johnny Cochran-style rhyming motto for the entire group. How about:

If we do not submit, then they must acquit!

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Two new participants joined Elisabeth’s Voice today, Western Rifle Shooters Association and Andy Bostom. The full list of participants has grown so long, I’ve put it below the jump:


Contributors to Elisabeth’s defense fund should visit the Save Free Speech site. The fund is not under her control, and disbursements from it will be made solely to pay her legal fees.

International payments:

Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich
IBAN: AT513150042908021602
BIC: RZBAATWW

Made out to: Public Notary Mag. Martin Scheichenbauer, Hemmaweg 5, A-9342 Gurk

We Are Elisabeth’s Voice

Thursday, October 28, 2010
The video below was a joint effort by the Counterjihad Collective. Many thanks to all who participated, but an extra portion of gratitude is owed to Henrik Ræder Clausen and Vlad Tepes, who worked so hard to make it happen:

There is also a German-language version of this video in progress.

http://www.youtube.com/v/lrxXQxCTY5U

Elisabeth’s Voice in Amsterdam

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Below is the speech given by Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff today at the free speech rally in Amsterdam. In it you can hear Elisabeth’s own description of the criminal charge she faces in Austria for “hate speech”, and what brought it about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jM-JnquP0U

Many thanks to Kitman for YouTubing it…

Mark Steyn Joins Elisabeth’s Voice

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Vlad Tepes was at an event with Mark Steyn last night, and had the opportunity to ask him some questions about the “hate speech” case against Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff in Austria. Mr. Steyn, as you might expect — given his own ordeal at the hands of the Canadian Human Rights Commission — had a few choice words to say about the Austrian government, and expressed his unreserved support for Elisabeth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBGsCDl56cY

Readers who wish to donate to Elisabeth’s defense fund should visit the Save Free Speech site. The defense fund is not under her control, and disbursements from it will be made solely to pay her legal fees.

Previous posts about the hate speech case against Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff:

2009   Dec   5   Fighting a Hate Speech Charge in Austria
        11   Heckling the Counterjihad
        14   Whose Law?
        17   Defaming the Muslims of Pinkafeld
2010   Mar   11   A Mother and an Activist
        20   An Austrian “Hate School”
        22   Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff at the Freedom Defense Initiative
        29   Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff and the Wiener Akademikerbund
    Sep   9   “Islam is a Political Ideology Disguised as a Religion”
        16   “Justice Must Not Be Made the Handmaiden of Sharia”
        17   The Truth Does Not Matter
    Oct   11   Interview With Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff
        16   Is the Truth Illegal in Austria?
        20   A Court Date for Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff
        21   BPE Press Release on Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff
        22   Elisabeth’s Voice: An Appeal
        23   Elisabeth’s Voice: A Follow-Up
        24   Raising Our Voices
        25   Elisabeth’s Voice is Growing
        27   Elisabeth’s Voice: More Information
        27   A Bit More Media Attention?
        28   We Are Elisabeth’s Voice
        30   Elisabeth’s Voice in Amsterdam

Elisabeth’s Voice is Growing

by 1389AD ( 133 Comments › )
Filed under Censorship, Dhimmitude, Europe, Free Speech, Islam, Leftist-Islamic Alliance, Liberal Fascism at October 26th, 2010 - 6:30 pm

Originally posted on Gates of Vienna


We’ve just concluded the fourth day of our appeal to help Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff fight a “hate-speech” charge in her native Austria. Elisabeth had the temerity to speak out about Islam, and the Austrian establishment has responded by filing a criminal charge against her.

Elisabeth's Voice (small)Today Elisabeth received a ringing endorsement from LTC (ret.) Allen West, who is now in the final phase of his campaign for Congress in Florida’s 22nd District:

Elisabeth, you saw what happened with Geert Wilders, just STAND and never ever back down from your principles and love of our western civilizational values.

Best regards, Allen

Since last night we have added seven more blogs to the list of participants in Elisabeth’s Voice: Yid With Lid, Citizen Warrior, Tasty Infidelicacies, Het Vrije Volk, summer patriot — winter soldier, Here’s The Right Side Of It, and Irate, Tireless Minority.

The complete list of participants:


Readers who wish to donate to Elisabeth’s defense fund should visit the Save Free Speech site. The defense fund is not under her control, and disbursements from it will be made solely to pay her legal fees.

 

Previous posts about the hate speech case against Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff:

2009   Dec   5   Fighting a Hate Speech Charge in Austria
        11   Heckling the Counterjihad
        14   Whose Law?
        17   Defaming the Muslims of Pinkafeld
2010   Mar   11   A Mother and an Activist
        20   An Austrian “Hate School”
        22   Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff at the Freedom Defense Initiative
        29   Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff and the Wiener Akademikerbund
    Sep   9   “Islam is a Political Ideology Disguised as a Religion”
        16   “Justice Must Not Be Made the Handmaiden of Sharia”
        17   The Truth Does Not Matter
    Oct   11   Interview With Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff
        16   Is the Truth Illegal in Austria?
        20   A Court Date for Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff
        21   BPE Press Release on Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff
        22   Elisabeth’s Voice: An Appeal
        23   Elisabeth’s Voice: A Follow-Up
        24   Raising Our Voices

Elisabeth’s Voice: An Appeal

by 1389AD ( 131 Comments › )
Filed under Europe, Free Speech, Hate Speech at October 24th, 2010 - 7:00 pm

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Originally posted on Gates of Vienna

Cross-posted here at their request

A Call to Mobilize the American Blogosphere in Support of Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff

Elisabeth's Voice (large)We, the undersigned — consisting of four European blogs, one Canadian blog, and one American blog — have written this post jointly as a public call for our American colleagues to take up the cause of the Austrian feminist and anti-jihad activist Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff.

Geert Wilders is well-known to most American conservative and libertarian bloggers, but Elisabeth’s case is not so prominent. Like Mr. Wilders, she faces trial for reporting factual information about Islam. Her “crime” was to conduct public seminars in which she described Islamic doctrine, quoted from the Koran, and explained to her listeners what she considers the dangers of Islam.

Like Mr. Wilders, Elisabeth has been charged with “hate speech” for her words. Unlike Mr. Wilders, however, Elisabeth is a private citizen, a wife, and the mother of a small child. She lacks the major resources necessary to defend herself against the well-funded organs of the state which seek to persecute her.

Elisabeth will go on trial in Vienna on November 23rd, in what is clearly a political action intended to silence anyone who dissents against the prevailing multicultural orthodoxy.

We, her European and North American supporters, have formed Elisabeth’s Voice to ensure that she is not silenced. By appealing for financial aid, we hope to ensure that her defense is well-funded. By appealing for publicity, we hope to ensure that her case is well-known, not just in Austria and the rest of Europe, but across the entire Western world.

Americans may think that Elisabeth’s is a uniquely European plight, and has nothing to do with them. But make no mistake about it: the same repression is on its way to the United States of America. As the recent cases of Molly Norris, Juan Williams, and Derek Fenton demonstrate, free speech may already be taken away by non-juridical means. Dissent is even now being silenced in schools and on college campuses, and politically incorrect expression is cause for dismissal from both public and private employment.

The same types of “hate speech” laws that were used against Elisabeth in Austria are being prepared for the United States through the work of the United Nations. At the initiative of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the UN is on the verge of requiring all member states to pass laws criminalizing “the defamation of religions, including Islam.”

Your president, Barack Hussein Obama, has indicated his support for the UN’s proposed resolution. Time is running out for all of us. If we don’t stand up now for people like Geert Wilders, Ezra Levant, Mark Steyn, and Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, there will be no one to stand up for us later, when our turn comes.

Links to detailed information about Elisabeth’s case may be found at the bottom of this post, along with a link to her legal defense website where you may donate to her cause.

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Elisabeth’s Voice calls on the American blogosphere to support Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff in her fight for the right to speak freely.

Of the hundreds of American blogs who have not yet spoken out on behalf of Elisabeth, we appeal to a dozen of the most prominent and influential American voices:

First and foremost is Jihad Watch, which is the single most authoritative source on the web for accurate and scholarly information about the dangers posed by Islam. Its founder, Robert Spencer, has helped Elisabeth in the past through his Freedom Defense Initiative last February. We appeal to Mr. Spencer to step forward and renew his support for Elisabeth.

Atlas Shrugs has been in the forefront of publicizing and raising citizens’ awareness of the ongoing Islamization of America. Pamela Geller’s work in opposing the Ground Zero mosque is unsurpassed. With Robert Spencer, she was also a partner in the Freedom Defense Initiative last winter. We appeal to Ms. Geller to renew her efforts on behalf of Elisabeth.

National Review’s The Corner is one of the most popular political blogs in the American blogosphere. Its contributors include Jonah Goldberg, John Derbyshire, Andrew McCarthy, Jay Nordlinger, and other prominent conservative writers. We appeal to The Corner to come to the aid of Elisabeth and her right to speak freely.

Gateway Pundit is the best single non-MSM source of news and commentary in the United States. Jim Hoft is tireless and committed in his service to conservative principles and traditional values. We appeal to Mr. Hoft to add his voice to ours in support of Elisabeth.

Hot Air specializes in video reporting and political commentary, and follows the most controversial American issues with close attention. We appeal to Hot Air to extend its coverage to include the videos, images, and articles about Elisabeth’s case.

Ace of Spades HQ offers unfettered and no-holds-barred commentary on major American political issues. Ace concentrates on election politics, but also focuses on civil-liberties issues. We appeal to Ace to decry the suppression of Elisabeth’s civil liberties.

Hugh Hewitt is better known as a radio host than a blogger, but his blog was prominent during the 2004 election season. His book Blog inspired the formation of many small political American blogs. We appeal to Mr. Hewitt to inspire us again by taking up Elisabeth’s cause in the name of liberty.

Daily Pundit is one of the longest-established American blogs. Its founder, Bill Quick, has the distinction of being the man who coined the term “blogosphere”. We appeal to Mr. Quick to help bring Elisabeth’s case to prominence in the blogosphere which he so aptly named.

Instapundit is the the oldest and most famous politically-incorrect blog in America. Glenn Reynolds has enriched the new media with his wide-ranging coverage of social, technological, and political issues. We appeal to Mr. Reynolds to enrich us with his support for Elisabeth’s freedom.

Michelle Malkin concentrates on political and social issues, with a particular focus on the damage done to the United States by President Barack Hussein Obama and the Democratic Party. We appeal to Ms. Malkin to publicize the damage being done to all our freedoms by the case against Elisabeth.

Power Line, like Instapundit and Michelle Malkin, was one of the major blogs that helped expose the forged “Killian memo” during the 2004 election campaign. Two of its contributors are lawyers, and the blog often focuses on legal issues. We appeal to Power Line to focus its valuable energies on the legal travesty that is the case against Elisabeth.

TigerHawk is a New Jersey blogger who covers political issues and national security. He stands in occasionally for Wretchard at the Belmont Club, and is an expert on the intricacies of behind-the-scenes machinations in American political affairs. We appeal to TigerHawk to expose the machinations of the corrupt political elites who are bringing Elisabeth to trial.

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The European Union, which includes Austria, is a corrupt and undemocratic superstate with totalitarian aspirations. The oligarchy running it has determined that the millions of Muslim immigrants now living in Europe — and the millions more the EU plans to bring in — are necessary to secure the power base for the unaccountable bureaucrats who now oversee what passes for European governance.

Elisabeth's Voice (small)Hence their need to silence people like Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff who speak out against mass immigration and the dangers of Islamization. To help maintain the population in a state of sheep-like passivity, Elisabeth must be silenced.

But Elisabeth will not be silenced.

The Austrian court may take away Elisabeth’s voice, but while we yet have our own, we will speak for her.

We are Elisabeth’s Voice.

We are:

Tundra Tabloids
Europe News
Politically Incorrect
The International Civil Liberties Alliance
Vlad Tepes
Gates of Vienna

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Those who wish to contribute to Elisabeth’s defense fund — which is not under her control, and may only be used to pay her lawyers — should visit the Save Free Speech legal defense website.

Previous posts about the hate speech case against Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff:

2009   Dec   5   Fighting a Hate Speech Charge in Austria
        11   Heckling the Counterjihad
        14   Whose Law?
        17   Defaming the Muslims of Pinkafeld
2010   Mar   11   A Mother and an Activist
        20   An Austrian “Hate School”
        22   Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff at the Freedom Defense Initiative
        29   Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff and the Wiener Akademikerbund
    Sep   9   “Islam is a Political Ideology Disguised as a Religion”
        16   “Justice Must Not Be Made the Handmaiden of Sharia”
        17   The Truth Does Not Matter
    Oct   11   Interview With Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff
        16   Is the Truth Illegal in Austria?
        20   A Court Date for Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff
        21   BPE Press Release on Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff

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