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   Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 20 2008 - Leading European Futurologist Adjiedj Bakas is not surprised at the action of the Dutch Justice Department, OM (Public Prosecutor's Office) last week. An arrest team of nine men pulled in cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot and saw to it that 8 cartoons that were considered offensive to black people and Muslims disappeared from his website without the intervention of the court.

Bakas predicted two years ago that so-called political correctness would muzzle humour in Europe. A survey among professional European humorists, such as cabaret artists and cartoonists, proved that the overwhelming majority (more than 90%) practise self-censorship since the commotion over the Danish cartoons - on grounds of safety, but also because of the self-Islamicisation of European governments. Bakas explains self-Islamicisation as: "a form of appeasement directed at Muslim fundamentalists, whereby allowances are made in advance for offence supposedly caused to them, while their sowing of hatred is tolerated." This self-Islamicisation is apparent all over western Europe, apart from the odd exception, such as here and there in France or Denmark. The return of religion to the public domain is also partly to blame for this. Christian authorities abuse the supposed offending of Muslims to tackle the offending of Christians. This again conforms to the trend of a return to the Middle Ages. In the Middle Ages there were also attempts to tackle satirists like the author of "Van den Vos Reynaerde" (Reynard the Fox). Actions of this kind decreased during the Enlightenment.



The supposedly offensive character of the cartoons has in Bakas' opinion never been demonstrated. I have also used Nekschot's cartoons in my books, as illustrations. So, will the OM remove my books from the bookshops? I am black and the son of an Islamic father and a Hindu mother. In my family we very much enjoy Nekschot's cartoons.



The actions of the OM and the anti-discrimination bureau, which submitted the complaint against Nekschot in 2005, in Bakas' opinion conform perfectly to the trend of self-Islamicisation. Bakas predicts that this trend will persist, in spite of the present protests by cabaret artists and politicians.



Bakas maintains that the actions of the Justice Department are wilfully putting Nekschot's life in danger and believes that charges should be brought against the public prosecutor responsible.

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Trend Office Bakas: Marcus  Barendse

+31 6 54 266 896 or +31 20 627 10 17

www.bakas.com