Elham Asaad Buaras
The head of the Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West (PEGIDA) group was sentenced on November 23 to 40 hours of unpaid work for insulting Muslims in the Netherlands.
Edwin Wagensveld, the far-right Dutch politician, tore out pages from a Qur’an in The Hague, the administrative capital of the Netherlands, but he was sentenced for insulting the Muslim community by comparing them to Nazis.
Wagensveld shared a video of his provocative act, which took place on January 22 on the X social media platform and took place in front of the parliamentary building in The Hague.
Wegensfeld made unnecessarily hurtful statements about Muslims, and he should find another way to contribute to the social debate on the influence of Islam in the Netherlands, the court ruled.
The Public Prosecution Office had asked the court to issue a fine of €700 ($600), but the court did not find it enough and ordered a 40-hour unpaid work sentence.
Lawyer Alper Cinar, who filed a complaint against Wagensveld on behalf of mosque administrators affiliated with the Netherlands Diyanet Foundation, confirmed that the far-right politician was given the sentence for his insulting remarks.
He said Reclassering Nederland would decide the type of community sentence for Wagensveld after the finalisation of the sentence, adding that it could even be cleaning work at a mosque.
The court’s decision is important in terms of determining the limits of freedom of expression, said Cinar.
Wagensveld was unrepentant, tearing up pages from the holy book during the hearing before leaving the courtroom prematurely.
In a statement released, Wagensveld, who was not present at the verdict, said, “I stood and stand behind the statement I made 100 percent. This fake court will not prevent me from continuing to express the truth about supporters of a fascist ideology in the future.”
The Pegida leader will not appeal: “I do not believe in the Dutch rule of law.”
Photo: Edwin Wagensveld, head of PEGIDA (Credit: Roel Wijnants/Flickr Commons)
