Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Freedom Party which came second in the recent parliamentary elections, represents the ugly side of the European right. This is revealed no more clearly than in his racist, hostile stance toward Islam and Muslims as well as his recurrent demands to strip Dutch citizens with Islamic origins of Dutch nationality as well as to prohibit the Holy Quran from coming into the Netherlands and its schools.

Wilders, who has produced a film which insults the Quran and describes Islam as 'the religion of terrorism', campaigned on a platform of hatred exploiting the 'Islamophobic' atmosphere currently escalating in Europe, to enhance his popularity. His success in increasing the number of seats his party controls in parliament is a result of his increasing appeal among Dutch racists and reveals the extent to which European voters, or a portion of them, have deviated toward racism at the instigation of a biased media, hostile toward Islam and Muslims.

A few days ago, Wilders went a step further with this racial hostility of his, when he asked his country to annul its recognition of Jordan and to use the name 'Palestine' in its stead. In other words, his views are in complete agreement with the demands of the racist Israeli right-wing.

Jordan is Jordan, and Palestine is Palestine and so they will remain. Such provocative statements, which are contrary to all accepted norms and to international law, do harm to the Netherlands, its people and its democratic standing and jeopardise its interests across the world, not to mention the damage done to internal stability and social security. 

With all due respect to Dutch democracy, which created this unacceptable and abnormal situation in a country such as the Netherlands; a country which has always been known for its openness and the respect of its people for other cultures and religions, the existence of the Freedom Party represented by Wilders, as a deputised force in the Dutch parliament, is a great anomaly.

This catastrophe would reach its pinnacle should Wilders' party be able to enter the Dutch parliament as an essential partner in the formulation of internal and external policy and be in a position to impose its racist right-wing agenda on the Netherlands.

The silence of the European Union on this phenomenon, and its failure to address the issue using legitimate legal means is surprising given that it challenged Jorg Haider's right-wing Austrian party when it won the parliamentary elections and, according to established standards and principles, was able to participate in the Austrian government.

Wilders' party should be subject to the same fate as Haider's party; exclusion, isolation and boycott, as its involvement in any government will constitute a threat to Europe. It will no doubt create an atmosphere of tension in its Islamic communities, and provide strong ammunition for extremist groups opposed to integration and coexistence.

Just as European governments boycotted Haider's Austrian government, forcing it to withdraw, they are obliged to do the same to any government in which Wilders and his party are participants. Wilders, and the racist ideas hostile to the Islamic creed and its followers which he promotes, are considerably more dangerous than Haider.

Europe, which fought against Nazism and Fascism and every other racist movement, must not stand by idly when faced by a new generation of such movements, and must act before they are strengthened and come to constitute a real threat to its internal security and foreign interests.

Source: Quds Press