AMMAN —Only a day after the Dutch prosecution declined to prosecute far-right MP Geert Wilders, Jordan’s justice authorities charged Wilders on Tuesday, July 1, with blasphemy and violation of publishing laws for his offensive anti-Qur’an film.
“Wilders has been summoned to appear before the court,” Tarek Hawamdeh, a lawyer for a group of some 30 Jordanian media outlets which filed a lawsuit with the Amman prosecutor against Wilders, told Agence France Presse (AFP).
“He will be given 15 days to comply, otherwise, an arrest warrant might be issued through the Interpol.”
“The Messenger of God Unites Us”, a coalition of 40 media outlets, filed the lawsuit seeking court action against the Dutch MP last June over his recent anti-Qur’an documentary “Fitna”.
The lawsuit was based on the film’s violation of Jordan’s publishing laws which ban insults against religions and attacks against Islam and the prophets.
The charges also include blasphemy and contempt of Muslims, according to Hawamdeh.
Jordanian prosecutor Judge Abdallat has already issued an order through the Dutch embassy in Amman to bring Wilders to stand trial.
“Punishment could be up to three years in jail,” affirmed Hawamdeh.
Wilders, a far-right lawmaker, has released a documentary entitled “Fitna,” an Arabic word for sedition or strife, on the internet last March.
The 15-minute documentary accuses Qur’an of inciting violence and intersperses images of terror attacks with verses from the Noble Qur’an.
On Monday, Amsterdam’s Public Prosecutors announced that Wilders will not be charged for inciting hatred with his offensive film.
The prosecution said that Wilders’ actions, though “hurtful and offensive”, were allowable under Dutch law and did not give rise to a punishable offence.
“Nursing Grudge “
The Jordanian move came as the world’s biggest Muslim body expressed frustration over the Dutch prosecution’s decision over Wilders’ film.
“The act of the Dutch Public Prosecutor to drop the charges against the producer of the film ‘Fitna’ is tantamount to encouraging irresponsible media persecution, and nursing grudge against Muslims,” the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Riyadh-based 57-nation body said it was “deeply annoyed” that the Dutch prosecutors said Wilders was protected by the right to free speech.
“In so doing, the Dutch Public Prosecutor seems to ignore the fine line of ‘responsibility’ separating the freedom of expression from incitement to hatred.
“The decision … encourages and supports the irresponsible defamatory style followed by some media outlets and instigates feelings of hatred, animosity and antipathy towards Muslims.”
The OIC added that the Netherlands’ conduct over the crisis is not conducive to facilitating dialogue or reaching understanding on sensitive issues.
Wilders’ documentary has sparked fury among Muslims worldwide, with rallies staged in several Muslim capitals.
It has also triggered calls for boycotts of Dutch products in some Muslim countries.
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