Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party (PVV) in the Netherlands and a likely candidate for the position of Prime Minister, has stirred controversy by calling on Muslims, who prioritize the Quran over secular laws, to leave the country. In an unverified video, Wilders stated, “I have a message for all the Muslims in the Netherlands who do not respect our freedom, our democracy and our core values, who find the rules of the Quran more important than our secular laws. There are many of those. Research by Professor Koompans shows there are 7 lakh. And, my message to them is: Get out! Leave for an Islamic country. Then, you can enjoy Islamic rules. Those are their rules, but not ours.”
Despite Wilders’ strong stance, his PVV party is expected to hold only 25% of seats in the Dutch parliament, necessitating collaboration with other parties for governance. The conservative VVD Party, under new leader Dilan Yesilgoz, hasn’t dismissed the possibility of supporting a Wilders-led government from the outside. However, challenges arise, with some parties expressing concerns about aligning with Wilders due to his extreme views that might conflict with the Dutch constitution’s religious freedom protections.
By Reuters
