Anti-Islamist Politician Geert Wilders Vows to Defy Ban By Entering Britain

February 12, 2009

Author: Emily Gosden

Source: The Times Online

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5712737.ece

A far-right Dutch politician will attempt to defy a government ban on his entering Britain today, amid a diplomatic row over his right to visit.

Geert Wilders, an anti-Islamist, will fly in to Heathrow to attend a screening of his film Fitna at the House of Lords hosted by the UKIP peer Lord Pearson of Rannoch.

The authorities would have to prevent him physically, he said. “I’ll see what happens at the border. Let them put me in handcuffs.”

The film features verses from the Koran with images of terrorist attacks in New York, London and Madrid and calls on Muslims to remove “hate-preaching” verses from the text. Lord Pearson said that the screening would go ahead with or without Mr Wilders.