Wilders calls Islam "reprehensible" in same breath as promise to protect Muslim freedoms

PVV leader Geert Wilders says he wanted to stand up for the freedom of all Dutch people, including those with a Muslim background. He thinks it is “fine” that they visit mosques and read the Koran and calls that “a completely natural thing to do.” At the same time, he insists that Islam is a “reprehensible, hateful, and violent” religion.

The PVV’s election manifesto still contained proposals to ban mosques and the Koran. Wilders previously promised to put these plans on hold in order to remove constitutional objections to working with his party in the Cabinet formation.

“Those were not proposals inspired by hatred, aversion, or discrimination,” Wilders claimed in the debate about the failed formation round. The PVV leader said he was only concerned with freedom, which he believes is endangered by Islam. “Look at their attitude toward women, homosexuals, Jews, Christians, people leaving Islam. It is a terrible thing.”

GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans is not impressed. “You have made intolerance your trademark,” he said. “I wonder if you’ll ever get rid of that.” Timmermans accused the PVV leader of being “prepared” to deprive a million Dutch people “who pose no threat to our democratic constitutional state” of their rights.

Stephan van Baarle of Denk again heard “unadulterated hatred” in Wilders’ arguments. He mentioned a series of controversial statements about Islam from the past that Wilders has not distanced himself from. Van Baarle called it “totally unbelievable” that the PVV leader is now trying to justify these “reprehensible statements.”