***Wilders told Dutch television on Tuesday that the British government had sent him a letter saying it believed his statements about "Muslims and their beliefs, as expressed in your film `Fitna' and elsewhere, would threaten community harmony and therefore public security in the United Kingdom".
Anti-Islam Dutch MP turned away from UK Friday, February 13, 2009 LONDON: Right-wing Dutch legislator Geert Wilders, who is being prosecuted at home for anti-Islam remarks, said he was barred from entering Britain on Thursday after he landed in defiance of a government ban. Wilders wanted to show his film "Fitna", which argues that the Quran incites violence, in the British parliament. But he was told by British authorities on Tuesday that he was being excluded. Despite that, he took a flight to London. Britain's Home Office said he was turned back to stop him spreading "hatred and violent messages." "He was refused entry... Anybody who is refused entry to the UK will be detained and returned. They will not be allowed to enter the UK," a spokesman told AFP. "The government opposes extremism in all its forms. It will stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country," said the spokesman. "I am in a detention centre at Heathrow ... I will not be allowed to enter the country. They will send me back within a few hours," Wilders told Reuters from the airport. Britain's Home Office (interior ministry) said he would not be allowed entry into Britain, but gave no other details. Wilders told Dutch television on Tuesday that the British government had sent him a letter saying it believed his statements about "Muslims and their beliefs, as expressed in your film `Fitna' and elsewhere, would threaten community harmony and therefore public security in the United Kingdom". Wilders' exclusion caused a diplomatic spat between the Netherlands and Britain. "It is highly regrettable that a Dutch MP (member of parliament) should be denied entry to another EU country," Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said in a statement on the Dutch Embassy's British web site. It said Verhagen had telephoned his British counterpart David Miliband to "express his displeasure" that a Dutch member of parliament had been excluded. Miliband defended the British decision. "A hate-filled film designed to stir up religious and racial hatred in this country is contrary to our laws," he told the BBC. The Netherlands has condemned the film, which was aired over the Internet last March, saying it served no other purpose than causing offence. An Amsterdam court has ordered Wilders' prosecution for inciting hatred and discrimination based on comments in various media on Muslims and their beliefs. First Muslim British Minister Shahid Malik defended ban on the entry of anti-Islam Dutch MP and said Britain was opposed to all type of extremism. Justice Minister Shahid Malik said that through a new law they would be able to stop entry of such people who wanted to visit Britain for spreading extremism and hatred, adding that Wilders' presence in UK could provocative, which was not acceptable. http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=20286 <http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=20286>
