Excerpt:
Geert Wilders does not say what he does about Islam to be "funny," but to warn Western civilization of the gravest danger it faces, the controversial Dutch politician's lawyer told a court in Amsterdam on Monday.
Wilders, leader of the conservative Party for Freedom (PVV), stands accused of "inciting hatred and discrimination" against Muslims, allegations arising from his outspoken criticism of radical Islam.
The Dutch legal establishment has proceeded with the landmark trial even though public prosecutors have requested that it be abandoned, leading to the peculiar spectacle of the officials whose job is to secure a conviction instead urging the Amsterdam district court to acquit the accused man.