A Danish press freedom group said Sunday it has invited a Dutch lawmaker to talk about an anti-Quran film he made that sparked angry street protests in Muslim countries earlier this year. Geert Wilders will appear in Copenhagen on June 1 to talk about the movie and share his thoughts on free speech, said The Free Press Society of 2004.
Lars Hedegaard, president of the society, said the invitation to Wilders should not be viewed as a provocation against the Muslim world, but rather as a way to address the debate on the right to speak freely. "He has been badmouthed and persecuted by almost everyone in Europe," Hedegaard said of the right-wing lawmaker. "He has not committed a crime as far as I know. He has simply voiced his opinion. The more threats we receive, the greater our duty to continue to speak freely," Hedegaard said. |