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Monday, 11 August 2014 - 09:16
Pakistani Taliban makes new Wilders threat
PVV-leader Geert Wilders has received threats from the Pakistani Taliban. According to the Algemeen Dagblad, the threat comes in the form of a video on an online magazine's website, showing a bullet shooting through an image of the politician.
"No lack of targets", reads a sentence at the end of the 20-second video. Geert Wilders is not the only politician in the clip. He is joined by American President Obama, and Israel's Netanyahu, who all receive the same threatening treatment. The magazine quotes Osama in Laden to say: "The walls of oppression and humiliation cannot be demolished except in a rain of bullets."
For Wilders, who is living with 24/7 protection since October 2004, this is but the newest of many threats upon his life. "After 10 years of protection, these kinds of threats still touch me deeply", Wilders tells the AD.
The film comes from an online magazine which spreads radical Islamic ideals in English. The magazine is called Azan, which means 'prayer call' in Arabic. Because it is written in English, it can reach a large audience. According to the AD, the Pakistani Taliban, active in the northwest of the country's border with Afghanistan, seems to be behind the magazine.
"It shows that criticism on Islam is still dangerous, but also necessary. The price you pay for that is high, because you completely lose your freedom. I wouldn't wish this on my biggest enemy, but will always continue to speak the truth about Islam, whatever the consequences", Wilders says.
The National Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator (NCTV) knows of the film, but will not say whether it motivates new, stricter security measures.