The statement ‘Stop the tumour that is Islam’ cannot be construed as insulting an entire group of people on the grounds of their religion, the High Court ruled on Tuesday.

Judges in The Hague found a man from Valkenswaard not guilty of insulting behaviour for hanging a poster containing the text in a window shortly after the murder of film-maker Theo van Gogh in 2004.
Insulting a religion does not automatically mean that its followers are being insulted, the judges said.
There could only be talk of a collective insult if the offensive statements have ‘unmistakeable’ reference to a certain group of people who differentiate themselves from others through religion, the judges were reported as saying by the NRC.
The judges also said that this definition of collective insult will be applied during the prosecution of anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders.
Earlier this year, Amsterdam appeal court ruled that Wilders should face charges of inciting hatred and discrimination.