Lars Hedegaard’s statement on his conviction for “hate speech”

Lars Hedegaard, president of the International Free Speech Society, has been convicted of hate speech for speaking about Muslim mistreatment of young women. See previous entries on his case. Mr. Hedegaard has sent out this statement:

THE STRUGGLE GOES ON

Copenhagen, May 5, 2011

It is with great sadness I have to report that Denmark’s reputation as a haven of free speech and a bastion of resistance to sharia encroachment is irreparably tarnished. Denmark is my country and I used to be proud of it.

On May 3 the Eastern Superior Court in Copenhagen convicted me of hate speech under Denmark’s infamous Article 266b of the penal code—a rubber provision that may be stretched to serve any political purpose dear to the hearts of the ruling elites.

My crime is to have called attention to the horrific conditions of Muslim women and for my audacity the court has now enabled my detractors to label me a racist.

Muslims can say whatever they want with impunity. Just a few weeks ago Denmark opened its gates to the hate-spewing preacher Bilal Philips, known for his advocacy of wife-beating and the killing of homosexuals. He was provided a platform in Copenhagen and nobody thought of dragging him into court.

Our authorities and their allies among the PC elites have chosen sides in the struggle between the forces of freedom and the forces of darkness and so opted for the oppressors of their own people and against those deserving of their protection.

The real victims of this despicable case are freedom of speech and the tens of thousands of girls and women—Muslim as well as non-Muslim—whose plight may no longer be mentioned in my country for fear of legal prosecution and public denigration.

We cannot permit this outcome to stand. I have therefore decided to appeal my conviction to the Supreme Court and—if that is denied—to the European Court of Human Rights.

This is a fight for liberty against tyranny. It will be long and hard but losing is no option.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at May 07, 2011 08:45 AM | Send