Geert Wilders, the highly controversial Dutch politician, spoke last night at Columbia on “free speech.”  Bwog’s Smoke and a Pancake Bureau Chief (look, we had to get the joke out of the way) Mark Hay was in attendance.  After the jump, Derek Turner, Communications Director for CUCR, provides a statement.

Protests were limited to a lone sign-waver decrying (without actually crying) Islamophobia. And only twice did the audience in any way jeer, but the upsets went almost completely unnoticed – there were no banner bearers. We must credit this neutrality to Wilders’s unexpected finesse and charm – rather than taking any bait, Wilders responded, “even though you call me ignorant like a clown, I applaud your use of freedom of speech” – and, naturally, the deflective powers of his mighty golden mane. Indeed, the command of Wilders over his audience, the prevalence of applause and amazing shortage of boos and outbursts, was completely unexpected. But the night was full of surprises and not all of them nearly so pleasant.

As one CIRCA board member told Bwog, “We marketed this as an event on free speech.” And Wilders did focus exclusively on free speech – for all of seven minutes, we counted. After the usually appreciate note to his hosting institution, Wilders made his key claim: that, in Europe and increasingly America, “free speech is no longer a given,” and, noting his need for twenty-four hour police protection, claims he, “would not consider [himself] as a free man in [the free speech] fight anymore.”

As for Wilders’ account of Islam, it best to relate his stance by a series of direct quotations: “I have nothing against Muslims. … In fact the majority of Muslims in Western society are law abiding people. […]. Islam is a wicked and totalitarian ideology [based on the Quran and the life of Muhammad …] The Quran is, unfortunately, an evil book.  […]  If you don’t believe in every part of Quran, you are a renegade. [… And finally:] There is no such thing as a moderate Islam.” These quotations are not cherry-picked or de-contextualized. Wilders delivered them in variations at multiple points in his speech, often as stand-alone statements, and when questioners attempted to clarify if he meant this exactly, he responded with resounding and steadfast affirmations. Read more…

Ah, fall. The falling leaves, the earlier sunsets, and the inevitable campus controversies. And just when it looked like Columbia might escape a fall controversy, the Columbia Republicans have stepped up to the challenge, bringing strident anti-Islam Dutch MP Geert Wilders to campus on October 21st, at 8 p.m. The event is being cosponsored by CPU, CIRCA, CUIRF, as well as the campus chapters of the Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (a faculty group) and the David Horowitz Freedom Center.

“Wait,” most readers are saying, “who?” Well, Wilders is the head of the Party for Freedom, a right-wing party particularly noted for its hardline views on immigration and Islam; far from being a fringe movement, the party finished 2nd, with 17% of the vote, in the recent EU elections. His anti-Islam film Fitna has received international condemnation, with most countries refusing to allow its airing. For more, let’s kick it over to the smart people at the Economist: “[Wilders] has publicly questioned the loyalty of two cabinet members with dual nationality (ie, Turkish and Moroccan as well as Dutch). He called a third minister “barking mad” because of her liberal integration policies. And he has demanded a ban on immigration from Muslim countries. Mr Wilders might seem just a provocateur. But his power lies in the rhetoric that he uses to contrast such liberal notions as gay rights and female emancipation with the image of an intolerant and anti-modern Islam…Polls show that the Dutch rate freedom of speech as one of their most important values—and many see Mr Wilders as its champion.”

The CUCR, for its part, is pitching the invite on the grounds of free speech (the subject Wilders has been invited to speak on), saying the ”Columbia University College Republicans has found his silencing by the governments in Europe to be a gross violation of free speech.” Somehow, though, we think the whole “anti-Islam” thing just might come up during the Q&A, and that’s when we recommend breaking out the popcorn.

- JCD