Belgium's Most Popular Political Party Banned

[klah]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new...04/11/10/ixportal.html
http://vlaamsblok.be/site_engels_index.shtml
http://www.flemishrepublic.org/

Belgium's most popular political party was banned as racist by the country's high court yesterday, fuelling concerns that the judicial branch is being used to eliminate political enemies.

The Vlaams Blok, a Flemish independence party promising to abolish Belgium as a nation, now cannot receive funding of any kind, and will have to disband.

Frank Vanhecke, the party's chairman, accused the ruling elite of using totalitarian tactics to stop legitimate political expression and vowed to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

"This is an attack on democracy and free speech. Our political opponents have changed the racism laws six times in a campaign to have us condemned. What they have done today is shocking," he said.
...
"What happened in Brussels today is unique in the Western world: never has a so-called democratic regime outlawed the country's largest political party," Vlaams Blok leader Frank Vanhecke said in a statement.
...
Analysts say attempts to muzzle the group have invariably failed, adding to its mystique as the victim of a reviled establishment that has saddled Belgium with a huge national debt and some of the highest taxes in the world.
...
The high court upheld an earlier ruling that party branches had violated race laws by distributing 16 leaflets in the late 1990s deemed to be incitement against immigrants. The party attacked the ruling as a breach of free speech since much of the material consisted of official statistics.

One of the tracts, denouncing female circumcision in Islamic countries, was written by a Turkish-born woman member of the Vlaams Blok but the court ruled that the arguments were intended to foment anti-Muslim feeling.
...
The party said after weekend talks that, if it lost the appeal, it would relaunch itself under the name "Vlaams Blok+" or "Vlaams Belang" (The Flemish Interest).

...it will demand the departure of minorities "who reject, deny or fight against culture and European values like the separation of church and state, freedom of expression and equality between men and women"

"Today, our party has been killed, not by the electorate but by the judges. We will establish a new party. This one Belgium will not be able to bury; it will bury Belgium."

 

[RabidMongoose]

I think I remember another thread about Vlaams Blok being faced by judicial punishment (probably a CoW thread). While Vlaams Blok sounds despicable, it sounds very strange to have the most popular political party banned...and how the hell did they get to be the most popular? Pretty strange.

 

[Zebo]

sounds pretty messed up they can do that. This is why europe just sucks IMO. No freedom of speech or association while stealing about 60% of you check after VATs fiqured in.

 

[magomago]

if anyone wonders, female circumcision is not anything near Islam...that is just a case of something that a culture holds on to, regardless of the religion in place. But reading that article, it gave the hint that only "Islamic Countries" have this, which means Islam promotes it~ which it does not (I wonder if there is even a mention of it? Either way it must be absolutely horrible what the women who go through that feel)

 

[Drift3r]

Originally posted by: magomago
if anyone wonders, female circumcision is not anything near Islam...that is just a case of something that a culture holds on to, regardless of the religion in place. But reading that article, it gave the hint that only "Islamic Countries" have this, which means Islam promotes it~ which it does not (I wonder if there is even a mention of it? Either way it must be absolutely horrible what the women who go through that feel)

You are correct. I believe that is a African tradition that pre-dates Islam. Of course the wearing of a full body burka is not islamic tradition either. From what I know of Islam women should wear a head covering of some sort and dress modestly which does not mean covering yourself up from head to toe. That tradition is actually is a ancient Semitic tradition that also pre-dates Islam. Kind of how in some nations like Spain and the Philippines there are some Christians who nail themselves to a cross every Christmas or who whip themselves until they start to bleed during Passover. The Catholic church does not condone such behavior in both countries.

 

[gutharius]

Originally posted by: klah
This one Belgium will not be able to bury; it will bury Belgium."

That line alone will surely get them back into power.... </end sarcasm>

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: gutharius

Originally posted by: klah
This one Belgium will not be able to bury; it will bury Belgium."

That line alone will surely get them back into power.... </end sarcasm>

Maybe it will. I think one of their goals is to abolish Belgium since they're a Flemish independence party according to one of the articles linked.

It's pretty scary that not only can political parties be banned, but that the most popular political party is a racist political party!

 

[gutharius]

Wonder if we could get the Republicans banned for being racist against gays, blacks, and immigrants. JUST KIDDING!