On the one hand, we can praise Britain for having the guts to stand up to the hype that is Geert Wilders and refusing to let him on to the island because of his extremist views and the fact his presence could constitute a threat to public order.

But on the other, the decision is bizarre. After all, Wilders has not been convicted of any crime, he is an MP and a European, and even though he is always surrounded by bodyguards, he is not considered a threat to public safety in Holland.
The British ban plays so perfectly into his hands. Wilders, who describes himself as a freedom fighter on his website, can now shout even more loudly about freedom of speech.
Far better to let him show the 15-minute collection of old tv footage which makes up his so-called film Fitna and then tackle him on the issues. After all, Wilders pledged that once Fitna came out last year, he would engage in discussion with Muslims – something he has so far failed to do.
Perhaps British parliamentarians could have asked Wilders about where he really stands on freedom of speech. After all, he wants to ban the Koran.
And while Wilders ups his martyr credentials, we should not forget that only a few days ago, he was jumping up and down calling on the Netherlands to ban American imam Khalid Yasin from the Netherlands because of his views on gays, women and non-Muslims.