Wilders, a threat to freedom of expression in Europe

In the Netherlands, the populist deputy Geert Wilders is threatening to broadcast his anti-Muslim film soon. Numerous Muslim countries have already warned the Dutch government that the broadcasting of the film could have perilous consequences. The Italian editorialist Francesco Merlo reacts to the polemic. "Is it possible that we Westerners will have to give in to the threats and ban the film simply because the thesis of the film is not to the taste of ayatollahs, imams and fundamentalists? A film that has yet to be released, that nobody has seen, but that is already endangering the world's security ... . However, promoting mediocre works of art, films and books that are gratuitously blasphemous and lift unsavoury characters such as Wilders to the rank of persecuted artists, is a way of killing freedom of expression ... ."

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