Rutte slaps down Wilders over anti-Moroccan comments

Today Prime Minister Mark Rutte had the chance to react to the Chamber's discussion yesterday. Regarding Wilders' anti Sharia declaration the Prime Minister said: "It s a negative statement, which judges people based on their religion and it is polarizing." Rutte said that Wilders also crossed the line when he talked about the Moroccan problem. "Such statements do not contribute to the solution and I want to say here that I want to live in a country where everyone wants to make a positive contribution and can have a safe home."

Wilders replied that "We have imported a culture of hatred here. Look at the program Opsporing Verzocht. Those who still say that we have no Moroccan problem, does not understand anything about it." He also said that the Netherlands needs to close the borders to people from Islamic countries. Rutte admitted that certain groups are over represented in crime statistics, but there is another side to the story. He said that in every country people who come from outside have problems with issues such as discrimination and we must fight it. "What Mr. Wilders does is say that people of a particular religion does not belong here. Thereby he does not contribute to making our society stronger, but to making it weaker." Wilders said that the Prime Minister should not be lecturing him but the people, the "three quarters of the Muslims" who are cheering for 9/11. "Not me, but you are standing on the wrong side of the line. You have given away half the country. As long as I live, I will oppose this." Rutte replied by saying that words like "less, less" have a major impact, but they still can't stand in the shade of that one Moroccan entrepreneur who is trying to make something of it. Samson complimented Rutte for finally responding to "hatemonger" Wilders. Yesterday the PvdA leader asked the Prime Minister to condemn Wilders' statements.