Britain bars entry by anti-Islamic Dutch lawmaker

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

But the Quilliam Foundation, a British-based Muslim think tank devoted to fighting extremism, said Wilders should have been allowed into the country so that his views could be challenged "through debate and argument."

This is what it is all about. Can not have debate when one side is barred from the debate.

Sure.

[luckytxn 2,264]

Makes no difference at all. He is allowed to his ideas and to bar him means you are sanctioning the opposites sides views to prevail.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Not sure what debate mr wilders visit would have initiated.

I am curious as to who it was in the house of lords who invited him and why they wanted to view his film.

[Big Papa Zone 93]

This is what it is all about. Can not have debate when one side is barred from the debate.

Sure.

I'm loathed to enter these politically charged chinwags as a general rule (prefering to observe the highly amusing tete-a-tetes between Aficonado & PD from afar) but in this instance, I would like to ask PD to elaborate just a little on his response to luckytxn's remark that, "(one) cannot have a debate when one side is barred from the debate."

This seems like a perfectly reasonable statement to me (irrespective of the subject matter) and PD's one word response of "sure" seems to me at least, at little, well, confined.

PD?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Sure = yes.

[alienlovechild 75]

This seems like a perfectly reasonable statement to me (irrespective of the subject matter) and PD's one word response of "sure" seems to me at least, at little, well, confined.

That was the extent of his thoughts on the matter. Anything more would have been too taxing.

Opinion in Britain's 2 million-strong Muslim community runs strongly against Wilders. Manzoor Mughal, the chairman of the Muslim Forum, told BBC that Wilders was peddling hatred under the cloak of free speech.

I don't know about the views of this group but there are large of number Muslim fanatics already in the UK but they won't be asked to leave the country since many of them are citizens.

But the Quilliam Foundation, a British-based Muslim think tank devoted to fighting extremism, said Wilders should have been allowed into the country so that his views could be challenged "through debate and argument."

"Freedom of speech should be protected — so long as people do not use this freedom to call for violence against others," the foundation said in a statement.

Sounds like a reasonable position.

Hard-line Egyptian cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi was allowed into Britain in 2004 after being invited by the mayor of London to speak at a conference, but his visit was widely criticized. When he asked to come last year, reportedly for medical treatment, he was refused: The government said his views justify terrorism.

If the government had a consistent policy, there'd be a lot less complaining.

[Big Papa Zone 93]

Sure = yes.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

This seems like a perfectly reasonable statement to me (irrespective of the subject matter) and PD's one word response of "sure" seems to me at least, at little, well, confined.

That was the extent of his thoughts on the matter. Anything more would have been too taxing.

#######.