At the request of Amsterdam debate centre De Balie, Parool and Groene Amsterdammer columnist Theodor Holman wrote a play about a conversation between Anders Breivik and Geert Wilders. In a Interview with Joost Niemöller of the opinion blog 'De Dagelijkse Standaard' the presenter and writer explains that he admires Breivik's analysis of the situation in Europe, which he also believes is completely in line with Wilders' ideas.
According to Holman, the man who planned and carried out a mass murder in Norway only continued on a consistent path where Wilders chose the compromise of politics.
In this interview, the columnist and dramatist defines his political position as follows:
"I also think Wilders is still too left-wing. I really mean that. Especially his socio-economic programme. Fleur Agema and Martin Bosma and Wilders are idealists. They want something. I am closer to Breivik. Although in the end Breivik was also destroyed by his own idealism. I would never take up arms because, after all, I am not an idealist. I am more Nietschze. In a manner of speaking. I hope you will bring this with proper perspective. Haha! Do you see what I mean? I want to write pieces, stand by the side and whistle at people."
A little further on, he declares:
"It's not that I agree with Wilders in everything. That hotline, for example. But I think that's such an unimportant thing, I can't even bother with that. Yes, I don't think you should report other people. Kick the shit out of them. Get a gun and shoot them. But we're not going to turn them in. There's something sissy about that. But then again, that is precisely not the criticism you hear about that hotline. What you hear is: 'Appalling! What that man is doing!' and then again all that shouting about racism."
One thing that rather bothers him:
"You constantly have to prove that you are 'virtuous.' When I then hear Frènk van der Linden with Felix Rottenberg in DWDD about Rutger from GeenStijl saying that there is a decency gap in journalism, I think: Hello say, this is my father swearing about VPRO: 'How indecent!' Because he saw two boobs at Hoepla. I've always had a huge objection to that word 'decency'. And now I hear it there. I hear it constantly there. I think the real avant-garde is elsewhere. It is not in the art world that has the upper hand. It is not in journalism. The avant-garde is on the internet, in blogs."
So now we ask you: does Holman have a point and place himself in line with the writer Alessandro Barrico, who recognises crushing as potentially beneficial, is he calling for violence, or is it just another new thing we will have to get used to, an artist who says unkind things about people, and shows sympathy for murderers? How new is this, in short? And where is the limit of freedom of expression? Because I'm sure that's what the debate will be about again in the near future.
The play can be seen at De Balie from 22 March Information
English (UK) 
Nederlands 
Français 
