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Dutch court acquits anti-Islam lawmaker

AMSTERDAM - The Associated Press | 6/23/2011 12:00:00 AM |

A Dutch court has acquitted right-wing politician Geert Wilders of hate speech charges, saying his anti-Islam statements.

A Dutch court has acquitted right-wing politician Geert Wilders of hate speech charges, saying his anti-Islam statements, while offensive to many Muslims, always fell within the bounds of legitimate political debate.

Presiding judge Marcel van Oosten said in his ruling Thursday that Wilders' claims that Islam is violent by nature, and his calls for a ban on Muslim immigration and the Quran must be seen in a wider context of debate over immigration policy and could not be directly linked to increased discrimination against Dutch Muslims.

Wilders supporters applauded and he smiled as he left the courtroom.