Facts Part 2: Filip Dewinter and Vlaams Belang
Facts Part 2: Filip Dewinter and Vlaams Belang
Earlier….
1. Facts Part 1: Intro: The Counterjihad Brussels 2007 Conference
Today….
2. Facts Part 2: Belgium: Filip Dewinter and Vlaams Belang (audio and print interviews) and country report, to provide specific background to the Flemish Independence movement and the history of the party, as well as its current policies and actions. The Vlaams Belang party has grown from 10% support in 1999 to 25% support in 2005, and support from one third of voters in the largest city, Antwerp. It is the largest single party in Flanders today.
Undoubtedly I’m missing a few interviews or articles, and your suggestions (with links please) are most welcome.
1. First, the best book on the history of Flemish independence - A Throne in Brussels by Paul Belien of The Brussels Journal. It explains the causes of the collapse of Belgium and the implications for Europe. A must-read.
2. An introduction to Flemish Independence issues from Vlaams Belang, and Filip van Laenen’s site with additional analysis.
3. The Vlaams Belang “Manifesto” (party platform)
4. The official Vlaams Belang website
5. 2/05 Dewinter Interview with NY Times
6. 9/05 Dewinter Interview with Jewish Week Magazine
7. 12/05 Dewinter Interview with Jewish Week Magazine
8. New Republic Interview with Dewinter (early 2006?)
9. 8/06 Wall Street Journal editorial
10. Washington Post editorial on Vlaams Belang, related issues (2007)
11. 10/07 Dewinter presentation at Counterjihad Brussels 2007 Conference
12. Videos: Dewinter and Van Hecke in Washington, D.C. - WORTH YOUR TIME!
DeWinter Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzR57N15os8
Dewinter Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvSMAY8hJ70
Dewinter Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZGoeEqlMeU
Dewinter Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aue0lFI5etc
Dewinter Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6zAV_1LU4c
Van Hecke Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-XD0sSo3tM
Van Hecke Part 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0btg_cz-nw
13. Videos referenced in criticisms of Vlaams Belang
Another Speech at Rally (1991)
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UPDATE: October 30, 2007
A speech in support of Vlaams Belang by Roger Scruton, 2006
An interview by Shire News Network with Filip Dewinter, October 2007 (h/t LGF)
UPDATE: October 31, 2007
National Public Radio article on Vlaams Belang, 2006
3. Facts Part 3: Belgium: Evidence refuting allegations related to the 2005 Holocaust resolution and Vlaams Belang (a story worthy of Shakespeare or better yet, Stendhal)
4. Facts Part 4: Belgium: Evidence refuting allegations relating to “White Power” flags and Vlaams Belang (more than you ever thought you would need to know about the flags of Belgium….)
5. Facts Part 5: Sweden: Evidence on policy positions concerning Israel, antisemitism and Sweden Democrats Party, and why their support is increasing so rapidly
6. Facts Part 6: Sweden: Evidence refuting allegations concerning photos attributed to Sweden Democrats
7. Facts Part 7: Analysis of European situation
Summary Analysis of the Debate so far…
The Counterjihad Brussels 2007 conference is the subject of a vigorous debate on a couple U.S. blogs, because of the attendance of two political parties, Vlaams Belang (Belgium, specifically Flanders) and the Sweden Democrats. Three brief points on this:
1. Great Debate: This bracing debate’s benefits far outweigh the costs of having to correct misinformation, because we have the opportunity to get the word out about European political parties who are helping to define a wide variety of pro-human rights, pro-Israel, pro-national sovereignty, pro-democracy and anti-Islamisation policies. Europe is facing multiple threats at once - failing demographics, the destruction of national self-determination by the EU, and Islamisation. The need for political initiative is urgent.
2. Best is Yet to Come: It’s a net positive also for the organizations and blogs who attended the Counterjihad Brussels 2007 Conference. Our membership has increased significantly over the last week, and we appreciate the added donations and all the emails of support. Several blogs participating in this debate have also seen increased readership and support. We therefore look forward to the debate continuing until all issues have been raised and answered, and the truth about these political parties is presented completely and accurately, with all misinformation corrected - not just about Vlaams Belang and Sweden Democrats, but several more political parties opposing Islamisation that we will discuss in the coming weeks.
3. Many paths, no gates: Critics of Vlaams Belang, and of similar political parties with anti-islamisation platforms, state that the ” European anti-Islamization movement is making a mistake by allowing this group to participate.” We see it differently; that the citizens of every country have a right to self-determination, and that many of these groups have been actively working to preserve civil society against Islamisation for years. A two-day limited participation conference, however successful, is not a “European anti-Islamization movement.” Members of the dozens of political parties in each country will take whatever positions they choose to take on anti-Islamization and pretty much anything else. Far from being a single movement, anti-islamisation is a broad and widely diverse cultural and political response to the destruction of democratic human rights and freedoms by both assertive jihadists like the Muslim Brotherhood, and authoritarian multiculturalists like the European Union. Importantly, anti-islamisation includes Muslim reformers- several in Europe - who risk their lives by publicly opposing the imposition of shariah law, Islamic Imperialism and apartheid.
One might as readily say, of an earlier time, “the European enlightenment movement is making a mistake by allowing those followers of Locke (or Voltaire, Spinoza, Kant or any of those other extremists - Paine, Jefferson, Franklin) to participate.” We are not the gatekeepers of any movement; to our knowledge, there is no gate, and there are many movements, not one, working to protect western culture, laws and freedoms. You don’t have to apply to be part of history; it’s an open-admissions institution.