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That anti-Islam speaker at Temple

Geert Wilders will speak tonight at Temple. The guy is seen as something of a free speech crusader by many American conservatives because he denounces Islam — not just Muslim extremists, but the whole religion — producing an angry backlash from Muslims and liberals and, for a time, a ban on travel in the UK because of the short anti-Islam film, Fitna, that he made. He’s a bit of a jerk.

Tonight’s speech at Temple has produced the usual assortment of backlash and defense. First, the defense:

David Horowitz, of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, which funded the event, issued a letter asking university officials to disregard the concerns of the Muslim students.

“The Temple community should reject the call by the MSA to censor free speech on the Temple campus, and should recognize it for what it is – an assault on the right of all Americans to have a democracy that is inclusive, tolerant and respectful of the rights of others,” he wrote.

What’s interesting about this is that conservatives so vigorously defend Wilders’ speeches in the name of “a democracy that is inclusive, tolerant and respectful of the rights of others.” By that definition — and certainly by American standards — Wilders is anything but a small-d democrat.

Wilders, after all, has called for a ban on the Koran in the Netherlands. He has also proposed a tax on headscarves, in order to discourage Muslim women from practicing their faith as they choose. He doesn’t believe that a “moderate Islam” is possible — extremism is the true version of the faith — so he wants to eradicate that faith from his society.

Now because I’m pretty devoted to the First Amendment, I think Wilders should be allowed to have his say tonight — same as I think Nazis, Klan members, flat earthers and other kooks should be able to have their say. But I’m bewildered at American conservatives who celebrate Wilders as a free speech hero when he wants to deprive his fellow citizens of their most basic right to freely practice their religion.

Here’s a hint, guys: Real civil rights heroes don’t attain that status by trying to deprive rights to others.