Politics

                             SAYING IT LOUD, SAYING IT CLEAR 
                                    GEERT IS WELCOME HERE

Unlike the five mindless socialist rabble who felt they had to shout the fearless democratic politician, Geert Wilders, down with childish slogans the cultured dignified Netherlands MP cuts an impressive figure.

What was meant to be a  press conference, held in the gardens of Parliament House, Perth, was gate crashed by these crashing bores of the ‘Bigot Brigade’ ( a favourite word) whose democratic rights, of course supersede the rights of others to have the freedom to hear from moderates who happen to be conservative.

After Geert Wilders (pronounced Yert Vilders) had left, further bad comedy continued with a performance by the Three Stooges from a Parliament House balcony.

The alternative Premier, Opposition leader Mark McGowan, is obviously in trainee emperor mode in trying to outmatch the Premier, Colin Barnett, in the rudeness stakes.

He was assisted by shadow ministers Margaret Quirk and Paul Papalia,and one another political staffer, Reece Whitby, who was once going to be the ‘next Premier of WA,’ but who, like Al Gore, didn’t quite manage to get elected!

McGowan and his performing seals feigned outrage at a ‘poor old pensioner’ who was denied access to the garden stairs by security staff.

Yelling at a passive security contingent and likening them, as McGowan did, to Germany of the 1930’s  illustrates not only his abysmal lack of knowledge of history but also his craven yearning to associate with a miniscule mob of socialist activists. John Tonkin (Labor Premier 1971-4) would never have conducted himself in such a fashion. McGowan would be splendidly cast in a Biblical play as Pontius Pilate, one adept at selling out substance for the frivolous.

It should be noted that this poor ol’ pensioner, Seamus Doherty, had been standing around constantly chanting, with his comrades from the Socialist Alliance choir, “Say it loud, say it clear racists are not welcome here.” (Question: what race is Islam?)

He could have chosen a seat near to where he was sloganeering for an hour but clearly it was better theatre to crash the security on the stairs. Incidentally, up on the landing  there was a police officer, not a security man, and later two constables came to the base of the stairs.

Whatever the security arrangements were they were therefore clearly arranged by WA Police and security staff.

Also Seamus Doherty, in 2011, was warned off the CHOGM conference in Perth, by police, and told not to enter the CBD during the stay of the various heads of government. That may, or may not, have been unfair to him but nevertheless he has form, being a well known left wing political activist. To be fair it should also be noted he was a compassionate, understanding union organiser towards members of the Independent Education Union, where he once worked.

The media role in this also has to be questioned. It was a press conference designed for them to ask questions of Wilders regarding the launch of the new party, Australian Liberty Alliance.

Instead, that conference was hijacked by a handful of political activists whose collective IQ would resemble their shoe sizes.

Obviously the schedule of the meeting was leaked so you have to question the motives of the media? Presumably they wanted a story on a demonstration rather than something about the new party or Wilders.

In contrast to the demonstrators Wilders, a cultured and dignified man, was respectful to the media throng whose average age looked about 24. He stayed on message and does not give the impression of “feeding the chooks,” as Sir Joh Bjelke –Petersen famously said, and did, during his long 19 year old reign as Queensland premier.

Unlike McGowan and Barnett, the Dutch MP has been a target for Muslim extremists. In September 2010 one fundamentalist preacher, Feiz Mohammad, called for him to be beheaded for the crime of denigrating Islam. According to him Wilders was “evil filth.” Yet it was disciples of that Muslim preacher of hate, the Tsarnaev brothers, (the Boston Marathon bombers), who drew inspiration from the preacher’s rants to murder innocent Americans.

Since the 10 November 2004, Wilders has been under police protection after two attackers, with hand grenades, were captured and accused of plotting to kill Wilders and another MP, Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

Not so lucky was assassinated Rotterdam politician Pym Fortuyn who had questioned immigration policies and Theo van Gogh , the Dutch film-producer and director who met a similar fate at the hands of a Dutch-Moroccan, shortly after. The latter’s ‘crime’ was to produce a film about how women were suppressed in Islam.

These are events seared into Wilders memory.

The Freedom Party leader (Netherlands third largest) supports Israel’s right to exist having lived in that country for two years and visited there 40 times over a 25 year period. He is on record as saying if Jerusalem falls Athens and Rome will be next

Wilders, describes himself as a conservative liberal and that is a reasonable description.

He stands for a reduction of the influence of the EU on the national state; the primacy of the Christian, Jewish and humanist traditions ; moratorium on non-western immigration; the closure of radical mosques ( Angola is currently closing all of them) and the expulsion of radical Muslims; introduction of binding referenda (something so-called ‘progressive’ politicians hate, as witnessed in Australia over the marriage destruction plebiscite proposal); boot camps for those convicted of street terrorism and detention for terror suspects; restoration of respect and better pay for police, defence and teaching personnel; reduction of taxes and regulations and easier health access for senior citizens.

Contentious, yes: extremist, no. Two US presidents of note, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, were far more radical in their implementation of suspending habeas corpus and establishing internment camps, in the Civil War and World War II, respectively. Wilders considers radical Islam is a  war with the West.

Wilders is in the tradition of William the Silent, Prince of Orange (1533-84), and like the famous and courageous Protestant leader he could well use the same motto - I will maintain.

Like William I did long before him, Wilders is fighting against an intolerant force and, in his case, one that also promotes a depraved ideology and a death cult.

Unlike his detractors in Perth, who reveal themselves as narrow, intolerant provincial pissants, Wilders is cutting through with people who relate to his decency, calmness, determination and the courage to take the blows to maintain western traditions and customs, from those who have forgotten them.

So say it loud, say it clear, Geert Wilders is always welcome here.