Geert Wilders serves up another political storm
From the Telegraph today:
To many abroad Mr Wilders, a Dutch MP, appears an old-fashioned racist whose views put him on a par with other far-Right politicians elsewhere in Europe. Yet in its first ever test of national electoral support among the normally tolerant Dutch, his anti-immigration Party for Freedom which he founded in 2006 won 17% of the votes – making it the second biggest party. That has shaken the country to its core – opening up the real possibility that, through the Dutch coalition system, Mr Wilders could win power at the next general election.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Wilders, 45, was frank about that ambition. Asked about the prospect of taking power in two years’ time, he said: “That is our biggest job. We had an enormous success last week and our biggest task is to keep up momentum. I am very confident that we will have an excellent result. If my party becomes the biggest party, I would be honoured to be prime minister.” Sitting in his office in the Dutch parliament building in The Hague, protected from the threat of assassination by 10 armed secret service bodyguards, he summed up his antipathy to the religion of many immigrants to the Netherlands. “Islam wants to dominate our society,” he said in fluent and only slightly accented English. “It’s in opposition to freedom. “If people are offended, that’s not my aim. I don’t talk about Muslims but about Islam. Everything I say is against the fascist Islamic ideology.” To the charge that to many his views appeared to be racist, he responded: “If that was true, we would never have been the second biggest party in the European elections.”
Why, then, did Moroccans and Turks living in the Netherlands so fear him? “As long as they don’t commit crimes, it’s a baseless fear,” he said. “If you adhere to our laws, if you act according to our values, you are free to stay. We will help you to integrate. “But if you cross the red line, if you start committing crimes, if you want to do jihad or impose sharia, we want you to be sent out of the Netherlands and we will get rid of your permits to stay.”
An admirer of Churchill and Lady Thatcher, he is charismatic as well as combative. Holland’s conventional politicians – mostly dull men in suits – have no idea how to counter his politically incorrect taunts, which outrage the parliamentary chamber but delight his supporters. He has come a long way since the days when he could be lightly dismissed as an eccentric fringe politician with an extraordinary blond quiff, known mainly for baiting Muslims. “Half of Holland loves me and half of Holland hates me. There is no in-between,” Mr Wilders said. “This is a new politics, and I think it would have a great chance of success in other European countries. We are democrats. On economic and social issues we are centrist. We want tougher laws on crime and we want to stop Holland paying so much money to the European Union. “We would stop immigration from Muslim countries and close Islamic schools. We want to be more proud of our identity.”
He admitted that he is frustrated at his image abroad, especially in Britain, a country which he admires. He claimed to believe in freedom above all else and pointed out that he is despised by Holland’s Neo-Nazis, who dubbed him the “blond Zionist” because of his links to Israel – a country which he has often visited and where he counts politicians among his friends. He is still angered at being banned from entering Britain, where he had been invited to show his controversial 17-minute film linking the Koran with the September 11 terror attacks. Muslim groups were among those who campaigned against his admission, and he dismissed the Home Office ruling as an attempt at “appeasement” of Islam. Dutch liberals groaned when the British Government refused entry, because they knew Mr Wilders would milk the decision to generate massive publicity at home. He is also being prosecuted in Holland for promoting hate crimes, a case which is thought unlikely to succeed but which has allowed him to pose as a martyr.
In the European Parliament his four MEPs will not ally with the British National party, he said, claiming he had never met a BNP Member. “I understand they talk a lot about blacks and whites. This is disgusting,” he said. Then a dreamy look of a man convinced of his own destiny came into his eyes as he launched into a fresh tirade about the threat to Western civilisation from Islam. “Samuel Huntingdon was being too positive when he talked about a clash of civilisations,” Mr Wilders said. “It is civilisation against barbarity.” His conviction explains why families like the Bernards, who know what happened next door in Germany during the 1930s, find Mr Wilders so unsettling.
Geert Wilders, a right-wing nationalistic anti-Islamic charismatic opinionated politician becoming Prime Minister.
He couldn’t…… could he?
I think he could..unfortunately.
Really? His party is very new and UKIP polled a similar percentage in the UK with their anti-EU stance, yet UKIP have never translated their support in European elections into a general election.
I think Wilders could make an impact of sorts, but not become Prime Minister.
Why is everybody so worried about Gert Wilders? Doesn’t he just say what a large percentage of the Enlish poplulation say in private, but don’t have the balls to say in public?
Because of his authoritarianism & the implications of what he says.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/025884.php#more
So, every member of a “non-Western” minority to sign a pledge of allegiance? How do they figure out who’s “non-Western”? Does that include Salman Rushdie, Nirj Deva, Sunny Hundal, Deva Kumarasiri, Gok Wan & the rest of them? I wonder whether this has been thought through.
Islamism will not be defeated in the way that Wilders advocates, whether here or worldwide, but by working alongside secularist & liberal Muslims, by economic prosperity & by education & such which will soon bring barbarities like FGM to an end.
A case can certainly be made that mass immigration should never have been allowed at all, which seems to be the view espoused by Christopher Caldwell & so on. But we have now to deal with its legacy in a sensible way, not by going ahead all guns blazing & alienating potential allies.
We can best defend secular liberalism by having confidence in our own values (which has sadly been lacking in those who would prefer to, for example, encourage “faith schools”, Michael Gove being one such offender) & by offering a real alternative to medievalism which will appeal to people.
I find it hard to believe that any of the Muslims of my acquaintance sit down & plan their world takeover. The instinct for freedom will kick in amongst them as it has amongst the Iranians, for example.
I am however a staunch foe of any attempts to silence him or deny him access to this country. These issues must be discussed & those who object can quite easily raise their objections then
I’m sorry, I happen to agree with him. I think the spread of Islam and it’s doctrines are a real threat to western civilisation.
Sharia Law is not only barbaric but advocates treating women on the same level as dogs. If it were up to me, the hijab and Islam would be banned in the Western World. There are plenty of places that a devout muslim can practise his faith without expecting christian countries to accommodate them.
I am pro immigration, but to me (living in Spain), that means you make an effort to integrate. You learn the language, respect their customs, traditions and don’t impose your ideals on them.
Do you know that the UN has now made it illegal to insult Islam? That’s just so ridiculous, a muslims idea of insulting islam encompasses criticising it… and that has taken away freedom of speech.
I like the Dutch; the vast majority of Cannabis coffeeshop owners, Cannabis growers and people in the wider industry voted for Pym Fortuyn. Not because ‘he was a facist’ but because, like Wilders, he was robust in defending Dutch liberal values from anyone else, be they the French (who try to dictate their drug policy), the Germans (who do the same but are historically wary of ‘dictating’ to the Dutch post 1945) or Muslims who want sharia law and no sex, drugs or other kinds of fun the Dutch enjoy.
And among those people, by the way, are the children of people who proudly participated in the Dutch resistance against the Nazis.
I hope he does become Prime minister,at last someone saying nwhat most of us think or are reviled for saying.What politician here is facing up to the threat of islamification of the UK.
They will never fit in.
Would or can someone tell me why it is such a crime to hold right wing views but perfectly OK to espouse socialist views?
Hitler may have been evil but then, so were Stalin and Chairman Mao, not forgetting Pol Pot.
Wilders stands a chance of becoming Dutch Prime Minster because of their Proportional Representation electoral system. If we had a PR system here, UKIP would do well. Farage wouldn’t become Prime Minster but he’d certainly poll a lot of votes. The UK is overwhelmingly Eurosceptic and the mainstream parties have ignored the electorate on that subject, just as much as they have on immigration. Something for Gordon to think about whilst he considers gerry-mandering our electoral system to suit Labour … sometimes these things have unintended consequences.
Anyway, I think Wilders is right. Extreme Islam is incompatible with Democracy and is destroying community relations in the UK just as much as it is in Holland. We should make it clear that Sharia has no place in a western society; that polygamy is not acceptable and will not be subsidised by the welfare system; the hijab is acceptable in adult married women – but not in girls; the face veil and head to toe black sack isn’t acceptable in our society.
Moderate Muslims are welcome here and should of course be able to practice their faith – but those that seek to impose Islamic cultural practices on the UK population aren’t. I hope Wilders wins; someone has got to start standing up for the native cultures in Europe.
Yes he could – and I agree with him. He is not racist – as he sets out quite clearly. He clearly states what he stands for – and as many of the commentators above say, he’s only saying what the vast number of people are thinking – but daren’t say in public. (This, I might add, is entirely different to the hate-preaching BNP – and he shouldn’t be ‘lumped’ into the same catergory as them)
I think a lot of people would vote for a similar figure here. Me probably included.
Like Sue, I happen to agree with him on a considerable spread of issues. Unlike Sue, I’m not sorry. I can not understand why Wilders is demonised and banned from the UK while Mandela – a man who has a known terrorist past and sings songs about killing whites is lionised and given the virtual freedom of our country. If some people get their way, we’ll even have a statue of him in Trafalgar Square!
Shaun @ 7.50pm, defending Dutch liberal values says “And among those people, by the way, are the children of people who proudly participated in the Dutch resistance against the Nazis”.
Undoubtedly true, Shaun, and much bravery was shown by the Dutch when their country was raped in Hitler’s Blitzkrieg. But it must also be borne in mind that there may well also be around now – perhaps some of those voting for Wilders – who are the children of the then pro-nazi Dutch National Socialist Movement (the N.S.B).
And the children of the 50,000 Dutchmen who voluntarily served with the Germans in such as the 2nd SS Brigade (comprising Dutch, Flemish and Latvians); the 4th SS Panzer-Grenadier Division ‘Nederland’, later incorporated into the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer-Grenadier Division (German Waffen SS); 6th SS ‘Nordwest’/ SS Regiment ‘Westland’, attached to 5 SS Viking Division; 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division ‘Landstorm Nederland’.
Oh, and there may be also the children of those who ratted to the Gestapo the secret location of the Frank family.
Talwin said …
“Undoubtedly true, Shaun, and much bravery was shown by the Dutch when their country was raped in Hitler’s Blitzkrieg. But it must also be borne in mind that there may well also be around now – perhaps some of those voting for Wilders – who are the children of the then pro-nazi Dutch National Socialist Movement (the N.S.B).
And the children of the 50,000 Dutchmen who voluntarily served with the Germans in such as the 2nd SS Brigade (comprising Dutch, Flemish and Latvians); the 4th SS Panzer-Grenadier Division ‘Nederland’, later incorporated into the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer-Grenadier Division (German Waffen SS); 6th SS ‘Nordwest’/ SS Regiment ‘Westland’, attached to 5 SS Viking Division; 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division ‘Landstorm Nederland’.”
Undoubtedly true that many of these will have voted for other parties too. It’s also undoubtedly true that there will be children of Nazi sympathisers from across the world – Romania, Hungary, Egypt, Iraq, India (how many people are aware that there was an Indian regiment – the Indische Legion – who fought for the Nazis on the western front?) who now live in Britain and vote Labour, Tory and Lib Dem.