Geert Wilders on Trial

(Amsterdam, Netherlands) The trial of Dutch MP Geert Wilders began this morning and then was adjourned shortly afterward. Mr. Wilders called on the judges to recuse themselves.

"We will now retire to consider" Wilders' application, said judge Frans Bauduin, the chairman of a special panel of judges hastily convened to hear the recusal bid that interrupted Wilders' trial.

A ruling on the recusal is to be made at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) on Tuesday, said Bauduin.

Wilders, 47, risks up to a year in jail or a 7,600-euro fine for calling Islam "fascist" and likening the Koran to Hitler's Mein Kampf.

Wilders faces charges of "giving religious offense" and inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims.

I suggest that provisions for "giving religious offense" to Muslims or any other faith should have no home in modern criminal law.

Furthermore, making it illegal to offend Muslims is plain nuts since it could be argued that Muslims have empirically shown that they can be offended by virtually every aspect of Western civilization.