Received numerous fatwas from Pakistan and Arab Imams, says Netherlands next PM Geert Wilders

Known for his strong anti-Islamic and anti-immigration views, Netherlands next Prime Minister Geert Wilders has said that he has received numerous fatwas from Pakistan and Arab countries and Imams but he is not afraid of such threats.

For years, Wilders has lived under police protection due to the numerous death threats sparked by his remarks against Islam, a religion he calls backward. According to a a Sky News report, Wilders has moved from one safehouse to another for nearly 20 years.

"I have received numerous fatwas from Pakistan and Arab Imams, but I am not afraid. People in Netherlands are waking up. Are they calling us racists? In Netherlands and other European countries, natives are discriminated against because houses are given to asylum seekers. Who is… pic.twitter.com/ppjg2TFrDC

— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) December 6, 2023

In a video shared on X by RadioGenoa, he’s heard saying, “I have received numerous fatwas from Pakistan and Arab Imams, but I am not afraid.”

Wilders’ tough stance on immigration has set the national agenda for a decade.

The 60-year-old was convicted of discrimination against Moroccans after he led a chant at a campaign rally in 2014, asking people whether they wanted more, or fewer Moroccans. After supporters chanted “Fewer!” he answered: “We’re going to take care of that.”

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Defending himself during the trial, he said that he obviously didn’t call for genocide, but to carry out his party’s agenda, including expelling criminals with dual Moroccan nationality, a stricter immigration policy and an “active voluntary repatriation policy”.

“People in Netherlands are waking up. Are they calling us racists? In Netherlands and other European countries, natives are discriminated against because houses are given to asylum seekers. Who is racist? We are very angry!” said Wilders.

Agreeing with him 100 per cent, the post also calls for all subsidies for illegal immigrants to be eliminated and houses built for natives by their elders be given to Europeans.

Among Wilders’ campaign pledges is for “No Islamic schools, Qurans and mosques” in the country, though his manifesto doesn’t outline how he would achieve that goal. The Dutch Constitution guarantees rights, including freedom of religion.

Wilders has called Prophet Mohammad a “paedophile,” Islam a “fascist ideology” and “backward religion”, according to a Reuters report.

His remarks have led to sometimes violent protests in countries with large Muslim populations, including Pakistan, Indonesia, and Egypt. In Pakistan, a religious leader issued a fatwa against him.

The Far-Right Dutch Prime Minister is also renowned for his anti-Turkey sentiments. He recently stirred a controversy with a video message following a dramatic victory.

In the video Geert Wilders explicitly stated, “I have a message to the Turks; we do not want you in Europe. You are not European. You can never be a part of Europe.” He went on to criticise Turkey, claiming it is ruled by the “dangerous Erdogan, who carries the flag of Islam,” and emphatically expressed, “We don’t want Islam.

Mark Rutte, the Netherlands’ longest serving premier, will remain in office until a new coalition is formed and sworn in.

Wilders’ anti-Islam, anti-immigration Party for Freedom won 37 seats in the 150-seat Second Chamber of Parliament in the 22 Nov election, putting him in pole position to succeed Rutte. But at least two potential coalition partners are balking at some of his policy pledges that they consider unconstitutional.

With inputs from agencies