Sir, you know what you are on trial for? ” “Glance of terrorism, the agent who had bound my hands together with those tiewraps.”
“Do you understand why?”
“I assume that the normal handcuffs were used up.”
“I mean: do you understand why you are suspected of glorifying terrorism?”
“Well no, not really. The agents were not so excited to answer our questions. Later I heard that it was the T-shirts we wore.”
“There was an image of a watermelon on it, is that correct?”
“Phew, you have me there. Red act, the game is out. Close me and throw the key away!”
“I can’t get rid of the impression that you can see all this as a joke, but this is a crime for which you can get a hefty prison sentence.”
“I understand that, sir the judge. Good that it takes action. Now it is still a watermelon, but What’s Next? An apple? A lemon? A pineapple? A banana? ”
“Do you mean anything to that?”
“Well, I always mean something to what I say, that’s how language works.”
“Good, back to that watermelon. That is a symbol for the support of Hamas, are you aware of this?”
“I know that the minister finds that yes, or actually the entire cabinet, but we certainly don’t mean it. And if you look at history, our interpretation is also much more logical. The watermelon has been a symbol of Palestinian resistance for decades.”
“That can be, but the legislator has determined differently.”
“Then the legislator and I disagree, luckily that is not forbidden in the Netherlands.”
“Well, in this case that is of course forbidden. At least, you can have that opinion, but you went one step further, you expressed that opinion too.”
“I never thought I would say this again, but we still have freedom of expression in the Netherlands?”
“Certainly, but it is not unlimited. That way you cannot encourage hatred or violence.”
“Don’t I do that either?”
“Nobody claims that, that is other law articles. This is about glorifying terrorism.”
“I must honestly say that I never knew how to do it, glorify that. I actually thought you should at least build an altar or something. But if it doesn’t encourage hatred or violence, what is the problem?”
“Even then, glorifying terrorism is not something that fits our Western values.”
“But not everyone in the West has the same values? One Man’s Terrorist is Another Man’s Freedom Fighterright? That is one of the Western values that you can have different beliefs. “
“That way we don’t get any further, you come up with a whole conversation between me and yourself to make a point, fine, but you are now just unnecessarily philosophical doing. Who don’t you think you’re? Theodor Holman?”
“Well, that’s an excellent example, it has indeed very different values than me. He glorifies other things.”