Dutch Muslims in shock and fear as far-right leader wins polls: report
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Amsterdam: The far right leader Geert Wilders wins Netherlands polls emerging as the next prime minister of the country, shocking the country’s Muslim population.
Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam Party for Freedom or PVV gained 37 seats in the 150-seat parliament outshining his nearest conservative liberal and green-left rivals, according to Vatican News.
People in India may remember Geert Wilders from his comments supporting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma over her controversial comments on Prophet Muhammad.
Geert Wilders’ party has fallen short of the numbers to form the government on its own.
He will have to reach out to other willing outfits to cross the qualifying numbers 76 to form government.
Many in the country are looking at Geert Wilders’ emergence with fear as his policies in power could maul the country’s tolerant social fabric, according to The Guardian.
Wilders earlier stated that his focus would be on curbing immigration, and softened his anti-Islam rhetoric despite during campaign.
At stump speeches he focused on issues including cost of living and immigration.
A small nation of 17.5 million people, the growing concerns in the country of immigration is considered to be the reason for Geert Wilders’ success, according to Vatican News.
Soon after the results, Muslims reportedly began voicing their concerns about Geert Wilders’ leadership of taking a more extreme stands.
The Guardian quoted Muhsin Köktas of the Contact Body for Muslims and Government as saying ‘These election results are shocking for Dutch Muslims’.
‘We did not expect such a party with a programme that is against the basic principles of the rule of law to be so big,’ Muhsin Köktas added.
Wilders, known for his ant-Islam rhetoric, has been under police protection since 2004, and was convicted in 2016 of discrimination after calling Moroccans ‘scum’.
Wilders has long been targeting Islam, calling the religion a ‘fascist ideology’ a ‘retarded culture’ and ‘backward religion’, thus creating political storm in the country.
Despite softening anti-Islam rants during campaigns, Wilders’ manifesto calls for banning mosques, the Qur’an and Islamic headscarves in government buildings, according to the report.