1 May 2007

THE HAGUE – Freedom Party PVV faction leader Geert Wilders is arguing that all Islamic schools in the Netherlands should be shut down immediately. He says this measure is necessary in order to "protect children against the spread of Islamic doctrine."

Wilders writes this in a column that appeared today on the website Nieuwnieuws.nl. "Islam is rapidly pushing our Western civilisation close to the edge of the abyss. We have too much Islam in the Netherlands. Islam is more a violent political ideology than a religion," the MP writes.

He admits that he has taken a strong position in the debate on Islam. That is necessary, he says, because it is "the eleventh hour."

Wilders also talks about the recent incident with the National Coordinator for Anti-terrorism (NCTb). He says that during a talk at the NCTb office last month an employee told him he should tone down his comments on Islam.  Wilders doesn't think that the fact that Tjibbe Joustra, head of the NCTb, corrected his employee diminishes the situation at all.

"It certainly was intimidation and of the worst kind," the MP writes. He says he has heard from two other individuals who are outspoken against Islam that they have been subject to similar treatment by officials.

"A subordinate urges that the comments be toned down in the debate on Islam and the boss corrects the criticism. So the criticism is uttered, but is then also "corrected." This way Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and Justice Minister Hirsch Ballin can wash their hands of it."

Hirsch Ballin stressed on Friday that there was no case of intimidation and that the freedom of speech is not at stake. He says the talk with the NCTb was intended to inform Wilders about his security situation. The minister will send Parliament a letter on the matter this week.

Wilders also referred in his column to a website with quotes from people who have turned away from Islam. "Mohammed was a narcissist, just like Hitler, Saddam or Stalin," they write.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Wilders adds.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2007]

Subject: Dutch news