Geert Wilders, well-known for his anti-Islam stance, spoke to a packed gathering at parliament
Outspoken Dutch politician Geert Wilders spoke at the city’s Free Speech and Islam Conference at Christiansborg Palace amid high security in the parliament buildings on Sunday.
The conference was organised by the Danish Free Press Society after the government’s own free speech and anti-racism conference was repeatedly delayed until this autumn.
Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen had previously said that Wilders, who heads the Dutch right-wing Party for Freedom, was not welcome at the autumn conference as he ‘associates an entire religion with hatred’.Accompanied by a large number of Danish intelligence service agents, Wilders did not mince his words on the topic of the day.
‘Islam is not a religion, it’s a threat against everything we stand for,’ said Wilders, pointing to the spread of Islam in other countries to back up his argument.
According to Wilders, 40 percent of British Muslims want to introduce Sharia law, while half of all Dutch Muslim students look favourably upon the terror attacks of 9/11 in the US.
Wilders said the essence of Islam is a ‘totalitarian ideology’ and that there is no such thing as moderate Islam. He urged attendees to adhere to a number of proposals, including boycotting the UN’s human rights council and abolishing all hate speech laws in Europe.
In addition, Wilders said he wants to see all Muslim schools and mosques closed, as well as any future mosque building outlawed.
Naser Khader, founder of the Democratic Muslims political movement and current Conservative MP, said that Wilders’ speech painted a bleak picture for the future.
‘It’s important to make a distinction between Islam as a religion and Islamism as a political ideology. He’s not the only one who sees there is a problem. But I believe his solutions are far too narrow-minded. I completely disagree that the Koran should be banned – that is not consistent with freedom of speech,’ said Khader to Berlingske Tidende newspaper.
The Party for Freedom was founded just three years ago and has since become the second largest Dutch party in the European Parliament. Wilders said that the rise in popularity of his party could result in his becoming prime minister within two years.
‘Then your prime minister can no longer avoid meeting with me,’ said Wilders.
