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THE HAGUE - A DUTCH court ruled on Monday that far-right MP Geert Wilders, who earned worldwide attention after releasing an anti-Islam film in March, did not break the law when he called the Koran a 'fascist book'.
The Dutch Islamic Federation NIF filed a legal complaint against Mr Wilders for his comments, which preceded the release of his film 'Fitna', portraying the Koran as a 'fascist book' and the Muslim prophet Mohammed as 'a barbarian.'
The NIF argued that Mr Wilders was inciting hatred against Muslims and should be convicted of discrimination and forced to print a rectification.
But on Monday, the Dutch court ruled that Mr Wilders' comments 'were not considered to be unlawful'.
The court agreed with Mr Wilders that as a member of parliament he should be able to convey his views in public debate, even if they are considered harsh.
'Seen in this light, it cannot be said that the defendant with the comments he made, although they are provocative, is inciting hatred or violence against Muslims,' the court said in a four-page judgement.
Last month, Mr Wilders posted his 17-minute-long film on the Internet.
Featuring shocking imagery of the 2001 attacks on New York along with the 2004 ones in Madrid, combined with quotes from Islam's holy book, the movie has sparked outrage in some Muslim countries.
In the last weeks there have been protests against the film in Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia and Afghanistan.
In the Netherlands the reaction to the film has been calm, with many Muslims here preferring to await the outcome of the various legal claims against Mr Wilders. -- AFP
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