The Trial of Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff Nov 2010

Read this and follow up on her progress.....

The trial of Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff for “denigrating religious teachings” begins today in Vienna. For those who are unfamiliar with the case, see the list of previous articles at the bottom of this post. This post will stay on top for a while, and updated as required. Later material will be added at the top.

This is an historic moment. Those who are not paying attention now will wish they had in years to come. The Bard’s words are fitting:


And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

— William Shakespeare, from Henry V

Lawyer: What is meant by “We are decadent”?

Elisabeth: That is the point of view of Islamic fundamentalists.

Lawyer: What is meant by “We do not want Sharia here, full stop”?

Elisabeth: Free, secular societies is what we want.

Lawyer: What is meant by “Islamic law is not compatible with free societies, we need to understand this.”?

Elisabeth: Islam is a whole, and this whole is not compatible with free societies like the Austrian.

Lawyer: Did you see any veiled Muslim men?

Elisabeth (laughing): No, this is an obligation only for women.

Lawyer: You were referring to Paris, Brussels, Rotterdam. What is the meaning of that?

Elisabeth: This is a reference to the no-go zones, where Sharia is effectively the law. There immigrant youths torch cars, throw stones at the police, etc.

Prosecutor: Are each and every one of these persons Muslims?

Elisabeth: The majority are.

Lawyer: What is meant when you say: “How many times have we been told that Islam is a Religion of Peace?” Is this an incitement to hate or violence?

Elisabeth: I do not mean to incite hatred or violence. We need to be informed, make people aware, inform our politicians and write letters to the newspapers.

Lawyer: What is meant by “We do not want gender apartheid, polygamy”?

Elisabeth explains polygamy in Islam, and the fact that this is a reality in Europe, today.

Elisabeth finally tells about the First Amendment of the US Constitution, the absolute right to express ones’ opinions, as a fundamental prerequisite for a sound democracy.

Update 12:06 (5:06am EST): The significant event at this point of the trial is the unwrapping of ’Umdat al-salik wa ’uddat al-nasik, or The reliance of the traveller and tools of the worshipper. It is commonly referred to as Reliance of the Traveller when cited in English.

They are using the Revised Edition (published 1991, revised 1994), which is “The Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law ’Umdat al-Salik by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri (d. 769/1368) in Arabic with Facing English Text, Commentary, and Appendices”, edited and translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller. This an authoritative source on Sunni Islamic law, because it is certified as such by Al-Azhar University in Cairo.

The defense lawyer goes through some points of the charges, asking Elisabeth:

Lawyer: You said: “Muslims kill due to Islamic teachings. Christians also kill, but not due to their religious teachings.” Are there not verses in the Bible that encourage killing?

Elisabeth: Not in the New Testament, and not actively used today.

The defense lawyer explains the death threats against Ayaan Hirsi Ali and the security she needs to live under.

Elisabeth tells about the killing of Theo van Gogh, and the Quran quotes used to justify that.

Lawyer: “Are there child marriages in Islamic countries?”

Elisabeth: “Yes, for example Saudi Arabia, Yemen,
Afghanistan. Also the late Ayatollah Khomeini recommended paedophilia, and the current Iranian President Ahmadinejad recommends his teachings.

Elisabeth: According to Islamic law, these marriages are legal and justifiable.

Lawyer: Are corporal punishments, like chopping off of limbs, part of Islamic law?

Elisabeth: Yes, this is described for instance in Reliance of the Traveler.

[The defense lawyer and Elisabeth have explained about the classical Sunni Islamic book Reliance of the Traveller, unwrapping a fresh copy in court.]

[link to gatesofvienna.blogspot.com]