Amsterdam prosecutors ban anti-Jewish book

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Amsterdam prosecutors said Wednesday they would ban a book published by an Islamic-interest publisher because it contained anti-Jewish passages that violate Dutch law.

“Guide for Islamic Schooling,” published by Uitgeverij Noer, contains passages referring to a Jewish conspiracy to control the world, which prosecutors said were “classic anti-Semitism.”

The book was one of three that had drawn complaints in the wake of the killing of a Dutch filmmaker in November, allegedly by an Islamic radical.

But prosecutors said it didn’t make sense to charge publishers or distributors for hate crimes.

“It’s best, in part due to the level of culpability, not to prosecute but first to make it clear what the norm is,” the prosecutors said in a statement.

Two other books, “Fatwas for Muslim Women,” and “Way of the Muslim” were found not to violate hate laws. Those were distributed by the fundamentalist al-Tawhid mosque in Amsterdam, which is alleged to have been a meeting place for radicals.

Prosecutors said the books were acceptable, despite passages promoting female circumcision and punishing homosexual acts with death.

“Although some passages could be seen as insulting, they have to be placed in a certain context,” the statement said.

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