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Dutch Prosecutors Will Move Against Anti-Jewish Cartoon

By Howard M. Friedman

According to Dutch News yesterday, the Dutch public prosecution department has announced that it will file charges against the Arab European League for a cartoon it has posted on its website. The cartoon depicts two men in business suits discussing how to increase the numbers killed in the Holocaust. Prosecutors say the cartoon 'insults Jews because of their race and/or religion." It suggests that Jews themselves invented the idea that 6 million were killed during World War II. The cartoon was an old one that had been taken off the group's website three years ago. However it was posted again after Dutch prosecutors refused to prosecute the TV program Nova and Dutch politician Geert Wilders over republication of cartoons insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Prosecutors say those cartoons did not violate Dutch law because they targeted Muhammad, not Muslims in general. The Dutch Supreme Court drew this distinction in a case decided earlier this year. (See prior posting.) AEL does not think any of the cartoon should be subject to prosecution.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on September 03, 2009 (boomark / email).