Geert Wilders

Geert Wilders

Parliamentary leader - Party for Freedom
House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office 
November 23, 2006
Member of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office 
July 26, 2002
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
August 25, 1998 – May 23, 2002
Born 6 September 1963 (1963-09-06) (age 47)
Venlo, Netherlands
Birth name Geert Wilders
Nationality Dutch
Political party People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) (1989-2004)
Party for Freedom (PVV) (from 2006)
Spouse(s) Krisztina Wilders (from 1992)
Residence The Hague, Netherlands
Alma mater Open University
Occupation Politician
Civil servant
Religion None (Atheist, previously Roman Catholicism)
Website Official Site

Geert Wilders (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣeːrt ˈʋɪldərs]; born September 6, 1963) is a Dutch politician and leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), the third leading political party in the Netherlands.[1][2] Born in the city of Venlo, raised as a Roman Catholic and having left the Church at his coming of age, Wilders attributes his politics to his support for what he calls 'Judeo-Christian values'. He formed many of his political views on his travels to Israel, as well as the neighbouring Arab countries. His early job at the Dutch social insurance agency propelled him into politics, where he worked as a speechwriter for the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). In 1996, he moved to the city of Utrecht, where he was elected to the city council and later to the House of Representatives of the Netherlands.

Citing irreconcilable differences over the party's position on the accession of Turkey to the European Union, Wilders left the VVD in 2004 to form his own party, the Party for Freedom. He advocates banning the Qur'an,[3] taxing women who wear the headscarf,[3] ending immigration from Muslim countries,[4] and banning the construction of new mosques.[5] He has also spoken in an international conference. In the international press he was called The Netherlands' "most inflammatory public figure".[6]

Wilders has pleaded, for instance, for a hard line against what he called the "street terror" exerted by minorities in Dutch cities.[7][8] His controversial 2008 film about Islam in the Netherlands, Fitna, has received international attention. On 21 January 2009, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal ordered his prosecution for what it said was "the incitement to hatred and discrimination".[9] Wilders was also controversially banned from entering the United Kingdom between 12 February 2009 and 13 October 2009, with the Home Office viewing his presence as a "threat to one of the fundamental interests of society".[10] The ban was overturned after Wilders appealed.[11] He visited the UK on 16 October 2009,[12] and again in March 2010, to show his film.

In March 2010, it was announced that a documentary film about Geert Wilders was due to be released in the United States; Wilders himself was writing a book and producing a sequel to his film, both to be released after the parliamentary elections in the Netherlands in June 2010.[13] Wilders' gains toward becoming next Dutch prime minister according to polls in March 2010[14] have triggered concerns of political violence in the Netherlands or against Dutch nationals according to the country's National Anti-terrorism Coordinator.[15]

Contents

Early life and career

Wilders was born in the city of Venlo, Netherlands, in the province of Limburg on the southeastern Dutch border with Germany. He is the youngest of four children,[16] and was raised Catholic.[17] His father worked as a manager for the printing and copying manufacturing company Océ.[18] His father fled the area to escape the Nazis and became so traumatised from the experience that he refused to physically enter Germany even forty years later.[19]

Wilders' mother was born in Sukabumi, Indonesia which was then part of Dutch East Indies. Her father (Wilders' grandfather) was however a native of Utrecht, while his wife was of a famous Dutch Eurasian family. Wilders' grandparents eventually became displaced in the Netherlands, and Wilders visited them often until they died when he was a teenager.[20] In a biography, Wilders himself seems to play down his Indo heritage.[21] Anthropologist Lizzy van Leeuwen analyses Wilders' Eastern heritage with the concept of displacedness, and classifies his standpoints as "post-colonial revanchism". This analysis is met with agreement in Indo communities.[20] However, in an interview, Wilders denied van Leeuwens' speculations.[22]

Wilders received his secondary education at the Mavo and Havo middle school and high school in Venlo. Reflecting passions that came to the fore later in his career, Wilders took a course in health insurance at the Stichting Opleiding Sociale Verzekeringen in Amsterdam and earned several law certificates at the Dutch Open University.

Wilders' goal after he graduated from secondary school was to see the world. Because he did not have enough money to travel to Australia, his preferred destination, he went to Israel instead.[19] For several years he volunteered in a moshav and worked for several firms, becoming in his own words "a true friend of Israel".[23] With the money he saved, he travelled to the neighbouring Arab countries, and was moved by the lack of democracy in the region. When he went back to the Netherlands, he retained Israeli ideas about counterterrorism and a "special feeling of solidarity" for the country.[24]

Living in Utrecht, Wilders initially worked in the health insurance industry. His interest in the subject led him into politics as a speech-writer for the Netherlands' People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.[19][25] He started his formal political career as a parliamentary assistant to Liberal party leader Frits Bolkestein, specialising in foreign policy. He held this job from 1990 to 1998. During this time Geert Wilders travelled extensively,[26] visiting countries all across the Middle East, including Iran, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Israel. Liberal Party leader Bolkestein was one of the first Dutch politicians to address mass immigration, and he set an example for Wilders not only in his ideas but also in his confrontational speaking style.[19][26]

Personal life

On 10 November 2004, two suspected attackers were captured after an hour-long siege of a building in The Hague. They were in possession of three grenades and were accused of planning to murder Geert Wilders as well as then fellow MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali.[27] The suspects were presumed to be members of what the Dutch intelligence agency, the General Intelligence and Security Service, has termed the Hofstadgroep. Since this incident Wilders has been under constant security protection because of frequent threats to his life.[28] In September 2007, a Dutch woman was sentenced to a one-year prison term for sending more than 100 threatening emails to Wilders.[29][30] Geert Wilders remained the most threatened politician in the Netherlands in 2008.[31]

On 18 December 2009, the Rotterdam rapper Mo$heb was sentenced to 80 hours community service and a two-month suspended jail term for threatening Wilders in a rap titled "Wie iz de volgende" ("Who's next"), which included that if he met Wilders, it would be "bam bam". The rapper also called on Wilders to take back his words if he wanted to stay alive and said "This is no joke. Last night I dreamed I chopped your head off". The public prosecutor said the threat could reasonably lead to Wilders fearing for his life or that he would be subjected to violence. The court agreed with this conclusion and said the rap was threatening. "A politician must be able to do his work", the judges said.[32]

Geert Wilders is said to have been "deprived... of a personal life for his... hatred of Islam".[19] He is moved by his state-provided bodyguards to a different location every night, and cannot receive visitors unless they are carefully screened and escorted at all times.[33] He is married to a Hungarian– former diplomat, with whom he can only meet about once every week because of security concerns.[19] The restrictions on his life because of this, he said, are "a situation that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy".[17]

In January 2010, Karen Geurtsen, a Dutch journalist from the magazine HP-De Tijd, revealed a painful breach of security. She spent four months working undercover, posing as an intern, for the PVV party. She claimed that she had had unchecked access to Wilders. "I could have killed him", were the first words of the article that she published about this operation. According to her, she had "dozens" of opportunities to take his life.[34]

Wilders has acquired nicknames such as "Mozart" and "Captain Peroxide" because of his flamboyant platinum blond hairstyle.[25] Radio Netherlands calls him "the most famous bleach-blond since Marilyn Monroe".[35]

Wilders is an atheist,[17][36] but he has stated that he thinks Dutch Christians "are my allies" and that they fundamentally should want the same thing.[36]

Public reception

Wilders has become a controversial figure[19][37] with polarized opinions[38] on him from world news media. In 2005, the Dutch public expressed mixed reactions to Wilders' general agenda, with 53% calling it "implausible" and 47% more supportive.[39] He has been labelled as both "extreme right"[40] and far right,[41][42] and defended by others as a mainstream politician with legitimate concerns[43] saying that such labels are shallow smear attempts. Wilders himself rejects the labels and has called the new description "scandalous".[43] He has been accused of building his popularity on fear and resentment[44][45] and vociferously defended for having the courage to talk openly about the problems unfettered immigration brings with it and the incompatibility of fundamentalist Islam with western values.[46]

Currently, Wilders holds significant popularity amongst the Dutch people. In December 2009, Wilders came in second in two polls in the Netherlands for Politician of the Year. A panel of Dutch television viewers praised him as "the second best" politician this year (after his outspoken critic Alexander Pechtold), while his colleagues in parliament named him "the second worst" (after Rita Verdonk).[47]

Some Muslim critics of Wilders accuse him of using Koranic verses out of context.[48] Because of Wilders' perceived positions on Islam, the Dutch–Moroccan rapper Appa, when interviewed about Wilders for a newspaper, said "if someone were to put a bullet in his head, I wouldn't mind".[49] Wilders' views on Islam prompted the Muslim Mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb, to severely reprimand him.[50]

On 15 December 2007, Wilders was declared "Politician of the Year" by NOS-radio, a mainstream Dutch radio station. The parliamentary press praised his ability to dominate political discussion and to attract the debate and to get into publicity with his well-timed one-liners.[51] The editors eventually gave the title to Wilders because he was the only one who scored high amongst both the press and the general public.[52][53]

Editorials by Alternet, The Montreal Gazette, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and The New York Times have accused Wilders of hypocrisy given that, in their view, Wilders has called for the ban of the sale of the Qur'an while simultaneously arguing for his own personal freedom of speech.[54][55][56][57] In a speech during a Dutch parliamentary debate, Wilders elaborated that he calls for the consistent application of Dutch laws restricting any act of expression that incites violence.[58] Ideally, he would prefer to see nearly all such laws abolished.[39][59][60] As such, he supports a European-wide constitutional protection of freedom of speech like that which exists in the United States.[60]

Wilders has also been compared to the assassinated fellow critic of Islam and filmmaker Theo van Gogh, but he does not see himself as taking on van Gogh's mantle.[17] Wilders has stated that he supports the free speech rights of his critics, saying that "An Imam who wants a politician dead is—however reprehensible—allowed to say so".[39] He has responded to charges of racism and Islamophobia by stating, "I don't hate Muslims. I hate their book and their ideology".[61]

In February 2010, the trailer of a newly published online satirical video on the website of the Dutch radio station FunX, which targets a young urban audience, spoofed a murder attempt on Wilders.[62]

In July 2010, the magazine Inspire announced that Geert Wilders, as well as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Kurt Westergaard and Salman Rushdie, were mentioned on a "death list" of an international islamist terrorist network.[63]

Shortly before this publication it was revealed in The Hague that Dutch law enforcement officers succeeded twice in smuggling a firearm into the parliament buildings and into the guarded headquarter of Wilders' party. This check was carried out by the Special Security Assignments Brigade BSB, a special unit of the Dutch Military Police. The test was carried out following a complaint from Wilders about his security being inadequate.[64]

Political career

Utrecht within the Netherlands.

In 1997, Wilders was elected for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) to the municipal council of Utrecht, the fourth largest city of the Netherlands.[25][26] He lived in Kanaleneiland, a suburb with cheap social housing and high apartment blocks, thus full of immigrants. While a city councilor, Wilders was mugged in his own neighbourhood; some have speculated that this may have catalysed his political transformation.[19][41] He was not rewarded for his time on the municipal council of Utrecht, for in the following elections he would score well below the national average in the University city.[65]

A year later, he was elected to the Netherlands' national parliament,[25] but his first four years in parliament drew little attention.[26] However, his appointment in 2002 as a public spokesman for the VVD led Wilders to become more well known for his outspoken criticism of Islamic extremism. Tensions immediately developed within the party, as Wilders found himself to be to the right of most members, and challenged the party line in his public statements.[16] He was expelled from the VVD parliamentary party, and in September 2004, Wilders left the VVD, having been a member since 1989, to form his own political party, Groep Wilders, later renamed the Party for Freedom.[66] The crunch issue with the VVD party line was about his refusal to endorse the party's position that European Union accession negotiations must be started with Turkey.[26]

The Party for Freedom's political platform often overlaps those of the assassinated Rotterdam politician Pim Fortuyn and his Pim Fortuyn List.[25] After his death, Fortuyn's impact remained, as more and more politicians angled for political mileage by directly confronting topics such as a ban on immigration that were, from a 'politically correct' point of view, considered unmentionable in the Netherlands until Fortuyn came on the scene and upended the Dutch tradition of consensus politics with an anti-immigration stance. Wilders would position himself to inherit Fortuyn's constituency.[67] He bases his ideas on an ideological framework of small government, law and order and direct democracy. The Party for Freedom call for a €16 billion tax reduction, a far stricter policy toward recreational drug use, investing more in roads and other infrastructure, building nuclear power plants and including animal rights in the Dutch constitution.[68] In the 2006 Dutch parliamentary election, their first parliamentary election, the Party for Freedom won 9 out of the 150 open seats.[69]

In March 2009, in a party meeting in Venlo, Wilders said "I want to be prime minister", believing the PVV will eventually become the Netherlands’ biggest party. "At some point it's going to happen and then it will be a big honour to fulfil the post of prime minister".[70]

Polling conducted throughout March 2009 by Maurice de Hond indicated that the Party for Freedom was the most popular parliamentary party. The polls predicted that the party would take 21 per cent of the national vote, winning 32 out of 150 seats in the Dutch parliament.[71] If the polling results were to be replicated in an official election, Wilders could be a major power broker. Under such circumstances, there would also be some likelihood of him becoming Prime Minister of the Netherlands.[72][73] This has been partially attributed to timely prosecution attempts against him for hate speech and the travel ban imposed on him by the United Kingdom,[74] as well as dissatisfaction with government response to the global financial crisis of 2008–2009.[71]

On 3 March 2010, elections for the local councils were held in the municipalities of The Netherlands. The PVV only contested these local elections in the Dutch towns The Hague and Almere, because of a shortage of good candidates. The big gains that were scored indicated that the party and Wilders might dominate the political scene in the run-up to the parliamentary elections scheduled on 9 June 2010. The PVV won in Almere and came second to the Dutch Labour party in The Hague. In Almere, the PVV won 21 percent of the vote to Labour's 18 percent, preliminary results showed. In The Hague, the PVV had 8 seats—second to Labour with 10 seats. On 8 March 2010, Wilders announced that he would take a seat on the Hague city council, after it became clear he won 13,000 preference votes. Earlier he had said he would not take up a seat if he won.[75][76]

Political views

Political principles

Wilders started off his political development under his mentor, Frits Bolkestein.

Wilders generally considers himself to be a libertarian, with a specific mix of positions independent of the European political spectrum and particular to iconoclastic Dutch society. He has stated that "My allies are not Le Pen or Haider... We'll never join up with the fascists and Mussolinis of Italy. I'm very afraid of being linked with the wrong rightist fascist groups", saying instead his drive is issues such as freedom of expression and Dutch iconoclasm.[61] Wilders views British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as his greatest political role model.[61] People's Party for Freedom and Democracy figure Frits Bolkestein also heavily influenced his beliefs.[26]

Wilders strongly opposes the Dutch political system in general. He believes that there is a ruling elite of parliamentarians who only care about their own personal careers and disregard the will of the people. He also blames the Dutch system of multi-party coalition governments for a lack of clear and effective policies.[26] In his view, Dutch society advocates rule by consensus and cultural relativism, while he believes that this should change so as to "not tolerate the intolerant".[77]

On foreign relations, Wilders has largely supported Israel and has criticized countries he perceives as enemies of Israel.[24] Furthermore, he has made some proposals in the Dutch Parliament inspired by Israeli policies. For example, he supports implementing Israel's administrative detention in the Netherlands, a practice heavily criticized by human rights groups, which he calls "common sense".[77]

Furthermore, Wilders has revived the ancient idea of reuniting Flanders and the Netherlands.[78]

Wilders published the version of his political manifesto called Klare Wijn ("Clear Wine") in March 2006. The program proposed ten key points to be implemented:

Views on Islam

 
Part of a series on the
Criticism of Islam
 
Issues
Islam · Muhammad · Qur'an
 · Islamism · Dhimmi
 · Eurabia
Sharia · Jihad · Pan-Islamism
Qutbism · Apostasy
Domestic violence · Antisemitism
Slavery · Terrorism
Attitudes towards terrorism
Homosexuality
Divisions of the world
Restoration of the Caliphate
The Satanic Verses controversy
Namus · Honor killings
Modern critics
Ayaan Hirsi Ali · Irshad Manji
Daniel Pipes · Ibn Warraq
Geert Wilders · Oriana Fallaci
Pamela Geller · Robert Spencer · Theo van Gogh
Afshin Ellian · Salman Rushdie · Christopher Hitchens
Turan Dursun · Wafa Sultan
Magdi Allam · Anwar Shaikh
Walid Shoebat  · Taslima Nasrin
Mark A. Gabriel · Brigitte Gabriel  · Pat Condell

Wilders is best known for his criticism of Islam, summing up his views by saying, "I don't hate Muslims, I hate Islam".[61] Although identifying Islamic extremists as a small 5–15% minority of Muslims,[77] he argues that "there is no such thing as 'moderate Islam'" and that the "Koran also states that Muslims who believe in only part of the Koran are in fact apostates".[58] He suggests that Muslims should "tear out half of the Koran if they wished to stay in the Netherlands" because it contains 'terrible things' and that Muhammad would "... in these days be hunted down as a terrorist".[81]

On 8 August 2007, Wilders opined in an open letter[82] to the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant that the Koran, which he called a "fascist book", should be outlawed in the Netherlands, like Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf.[83] He has stated that "The book incites hatred and killing and therefore has no place in our legal order".[84] He has also referred to Mohammed as "the devil".[23] In September 2009, he made a public speech advocating a €1000 a year ($1500) excise tax on wearing headscarves.[85]

He believes that all Muslim immigration to the Netherlands should be halted and all settled immigrants should be paid to leave.[61] Referring to the increased population of Muslims in the Netherlands, he has said:

Take a walk down the street and see where this is going. You no longer feel like you are living in your own country. There is a battle going on and we have to defend ourselves. Before you know it there will be more mosques than churches![86]

In a speech before the Dutch Parliament, he stated:

Islam is the Trojan Horse in Europe. If we do not stop Islamification now, Eurabia and Netherabia will just be a matter of time. One century ago, there were approximately 50 Muslims in the Netherlands. Today, there are about 1 million Muslims in this country. Where will it end? We are heading for the end of European and Dutch civilisation as we know it. Where is our Prime Minister in all this?

In reply to my questions in the House he said, without batting an eyelid, that there is no question of our country being Islamified. Now, this reply constituted a historical error as soon as it was uttered. Very many Dutch citizens, Madam Speaker, experience the presence of Islam around them. And I can report that they have had enough of burkas, headscarves, the ritual slaughter of animals, so‑called honour revenge, blaring minarets, female circumcision, hymen restoration operations, abuse of homosexuals, Turkish and Arabic on the buses and trains as well as on town hall leaflets, halal meat at grocery shops and department stores, Sharia exams, the Finance Minister's Sharia mortgages, and the enormous overrepresentation of Muslims in the area of crime, including Moroccan street terrorists.[58]

Nonetheless, Wilders has traveled widely in the Arab world and Der Spiegel has stated that Wilders will "wax poetic" over those "magnificent countries". Wilders has also said that "It's a real shame that these places are so chaotic."[19]

Wilders and Israel

Wilders lived in Israel for two years during his youth and has visited the country 40 times in the last 25 years.[87]

Wilders stated about Israel: "I have visited many interesting countries in the Middle East – from Syria to Egypt, from Tunisia to Turkey, from Cyprus to Iran – but nowhere did I have the special feeling of solidarity that I always get when I land at Ben Gurion International Airport."[24] Dutch public TV channel Nederland 2's daily news programme Netwerk reported that numerous American supporters of Israel financially supported Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) and openly approved of his message towards Islam and Islamic terrorism.[88] Wilders told an audience during the report that "We [in the West] are all Israel".[88] He has also said "Israel is the West's first line of defence" against what he perceives to be a threat posed by Islam.[89]

Following the Dutch general election, 2010, in which the PVV were the third biggest party, Wilders said Jordan should be renamed Palestine.[90] The Jordanian government responded saying Wilders' speech was reminiscent of the Israeli right wing. His speech said "Jordan is Palestine. Changing its name to Palestine will end the conflict in the Middle East and provide the Palestinians with an alternate homeland." He also said Israel deserves a special status in the Dutch government because it was fighting for "Jerusalem" in its name. "If Jerusalem falls into the hands of the Muslims, Athens and Rome will be next. Thus, Jerusalem is the main front protecting the West. It is not a conflict over territory but rather an ideological battle, between the mentality of the liberated West and the ideology of Islamic barbarism. There has been an independent Palestinian state since 1946, and it is the kingdom of Jordan." He called on the Dutch government to refer to Jordan as Palestine and move its embassy to Jerusalem.[91]

During a lecture, Geert Wilders quoted:

"The war against Israel is not a war against Israel. It is a war against the West. It is Jihad. Israel is simply receiving blows that are meant for all of us. If there would have been no Israel, Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming.

Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel to address the grievances of our own Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West. It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behavior, and accept our values. On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed. The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel, they can get everything. Therefore, it is not the West that has a stake in Israel, it is Israel".[92]

Fitna

The film displays a verse from the Qur'an beside images of the 11 September attacks.
Main article: Fitna (film)

Fitna is a 2008 short film written and commissioned by Wilders that explores Koranic-inspired motivations for terrorism, Islamic universalism, and Islam in the Netherlands. Its title comes from the Arabic word fitna, which describes "disagreement and division among people" or a "test of faith in times of trial".[93]

It is the subject of an international controversy and debate on free speech.[94] Despite the legal troubles surrounding the film, Wilders insists that before he released it, he consulted numerous lawyers in the field, who found nothing worth prosecution. Jordan has summoned Wilders to court, with the film deemed to "incite hatred".[95] Al-Qaeda issued a call to murder Wilders after its release.[42]

In the spring of 2009, Wilders launched the "Facing Jihad World Tour", a series of screenings of Fitna to public officials and influential organizations around the globe, starting in Rome.[96] In the United States, Wilders showed the film to the United States Congress on 26 February having been invited by Arizona Republican Senator Jon Kyl.[97] Around 40 people attended the screening.[72] American Muslims protested, but the groups said that they supported his right of free speech while still condemning his opinions.[97] Wilders spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference on 28 February.[98] He appeared before the National Press Club and the Republican Jewish Coalition that week as well.[54] Similar attempts in Britain led to a travel ban,[42] and legislative blocks have prevented an appearance in Denmark.[99]

Wilders and the United Kingdom

Ban on entering the United Kingdom

Baroness Cox invited Wilders.

Lord Pearson of Rannoch and Baroness Cox, members of the House of Lords (the upper chamber of the British Parliament), invited Wilders to a 12 February 2009 showing of Fitna in the Palace of Westminster.[100] Two days before the showing, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith banned Wilders from entering the territory of the United Kingdom, labelling him an "undesirable person".[10][101] Entry was denied under EU law, and reportedly supported under regulation 19 of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006, an EU law which allows a member state to refuse entry to individuals if they are regarded as constituting a threat to public policy, security or health.[42] A Home Office spokesperson elaborated that "The Government opposes extremism in all its forms ... and that was the driving force behind tighter rules on exclusions for unacceptable behaviour that the Home Secretary announced in October last year".[42][102][103]

Wilders defied the ban and entered via London Heathrow Airport on 12 February, trailed by television crews. He was quickly detained by Border Patrol officials and sent back on one of the next flights to the Netherlands.[104][104][105][106] He called Prime Minister Gordon Brown "the biggest coward in Europe" and remarked, "Of course I will come back".[107] Wilders had visited the United Kingdom in December 2008 without any issues.[108] Lord Pearson did not support Wilders' decision to defy the government.[42] But in response to the ban, both Pearson and Cox accused the government of "appeasing" militant Islam.[100]

The International Herald Tribune stated that the ban was broadly condemned in the British news media.[107] The Dutch Foreign Secretary, Maxime Verhagen, called the decision "highly regrettable" and complained to his British counterpart.[42] Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende complained to Gordon Brown about the "disappointing" decision.[109] The Quilliam Foundation, a British think tank, criticised the ban,[57] as did National Secular Society president Terry Sanderson.[108] The Muslim Labour peer Lord Ahmed expressed support for Smith's ban on Wilders entering the country;[57] the Ramadhan Foundation and the Muslim Council of Britain also did so, the council labeling Wilders "an open and relentless preacher of hate".[108][110]

Ban overturned

After being declared persona non grata by Jacqui Smith, then the Home Secretary, in February 2009, Wilders appealed the decision to Britain's Asylum and Immigration Tribunal.[111] In October 2009, the tribunal overturned the ban.[112][113][114] Wilders subsequently praised the ruling as "a triumph for freedom of speech" and stated that he plans to visit the United Kingdom in the near future.[11][112]

The ruling was criticized by the British Home Office, which stated that an appeal of the tribunal's ruling is being considered. A spokesman stated: "The Government opposes extremism in all its forms. The decision to refuse Wilders admission was taken on the basis that his presence could have inflamed tensions between our communities and have led to inter-faith violence. We still maintain this view."[11][112]

Visits to the UK

On 16 October 2009, Wilders arrived in the United Kingdom and was quickly forced to move his press conference due to protests by about forty members of the organization Islam4UK, an organization that was later shut down under the UK's Terrorism Act 2000 on 14 January 2010. Though the Home Office had asserted that his entry into the country would not be blocked, a spokesman said his "statements and behaviour during a visit will inevitably impact on any future decisions to admit him."[115][116] His visit to the UK met with protest,[117] but Wilders called it "a victory" in a press conference.[113] On his outspoken views on Islam, he said: "I have a problem with the Islamic ideology, the Islamic culture, because I feel that the more Islam that we get in our societies the less freedom we get." He opened the press conference with a quote from George Orwell's Preface of Animal Farm: "If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they don't want to hear". Lord Pearson, who had invited him, said his arrival was "a celebration of the victory of freedom of speech over those who would prevent it in this country, particularly the Islamists, the violent Jihadists who are on the march across the world and in the UK."[118]

In January 2010, Wilders was invited again to show his anti-Qur'an movie Fitna in the British House of Lords by Lord Pearson and Baroness Cox, both members of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). Wilders accepted the invitation and was present for a presentation of the movie in the House of Lords on 5 March. In his speech he quoted ominous words from Winston Churchill's book The River War from 1899: "Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. No stronger retrograde force exists in the World. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step ... the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome."[119][120][121][122]

At the ensuing press conferences, he called the prophet Muhammad a "barbarian, a mass murderer, and a pedophile" and referring to Islam as a "fascist ideology" which was "violent, dangerous, and retarded". Wilders also reportedly called Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan a "total freak".[123] Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende called these comments "irresponsible",[124] and Maxime Verhagen, Dutch caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, publicly condemned Wilders's remarks and behaviour: "He incites discord among people in a distasteful manner. And in the meantime he damages the interests of the Dutch population and the reputation of the Netherlands in the world."[125][126][127] Bernard Wientjes, the president of the Dutch employers' organization Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW), also accused Wilders of "seriously" damaging Dutch interests abroad. He called it outrageous that Wilders had presented himself in London as "the next Dutch prime minister" and then derided Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan. Emphasizing that three quarters of the Dutch GDP comes from revenue earned abroad, according to Wientjes, Wilders poses "a serious threat to the Netherlands and the Dutch economy".[128][129]

Wilders and Germany

In March 2010, Wilders was told he is "not welcome" in the western German tourist resort of Monschau in the Eifel area, after he spent a weekend there, along with several armed bodyguards. Mayor Margareta Ritter (CDU) said she was concerned that his presence tainted her town with the suspicion that it was sympathetic to his views. As a result, Monschau was said to have been unfairly connected with "extremism" in the European press. "Anyone who pollutes the integration debate in the Netherlands with poisonous right-wing populism as Wilders has, and advocates prohibition of the Koran by a comparison with Hitler's Mein Kampf, is not welcome in Monschau. I wanted to distinguish Monschau from that." She was unable to say whether Wilders was merely enjoying a short vacation in her town or had been meeting with like-minded people.[130][131][132][133][134] A demonstration to support Wilders was announced to take place in Berlin on 17 April.[135]

Other international aspirations

In July 2010, Wilders announced the International Freedom Alliance, a network of groups and individuals who "are fighting for freedom against Islam".[136][137][138][139] His goal is an international alliance to end immigration of Islamic nationals to the West and a complete ban of Sharia law.

Wilders plans IFA branches in the United States, Canada, Britain, France and Germany by late 2010. "The message, 'stop Islam, defend freedom', is a message that's not only important for the Netherlands but for the whole free Western world", Wilders stated in an address to reporters at the Dutch Parliament.[140][141]

On August 6, 2010, Wilders, who had become a celebrated guest with American media and politicians who share his opposition to Islam, announced that he will speak at a rally on September 11 in New York to protest the plans for the Cordoba House, an Islamic community center inclusive Mosque to be built near Ground Zero, organised by Stop Islamization Of America, which is supported by a number of conservative US politicians including Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin. According to SIOA's website world leaders, prominent politicians and 911 family members will be speaking at the rally, but Wilders was not mentioned by name.[142][143][144] In political circles in The Netherlands, the announcement caused widespread irritation about his plan.[145] Christian Democrat senator Hans Hillen remarked that Wilders' words could endanger Dutch interests.[146] Former NATO General Secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer advised Wilders not to make a speech, arguing that the international public does not know who is in the Dutch cabinet and who is in parliament and thus Wilders' speech could be mistaken as an official statement of the Dutch government. Also Christian Democrat party leader and acting Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Verhagen issued a warning.[147][148]

Also, the Dutch Foreign Ministry allegedly would have issued guidelines to its embassies on how to react to questions about the role being played by the PVV and Wilders in the formation of a new government. On August 10, 2010, the website of Dutch daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad published the ministry memo. The ministry itself however had declined "to confirm or deny" the authenticity of these guidelines. One question posed is how Wilders could be taking part in negotiations on forming a government coalition when he has been indicted for inciting hatred and discrimination, and for insulting a group of persons. Other questions covered possible bans on the building of new mosques, on the Qur'an and on Islamic schools in the Netherlands. The memo stressed that such bans would breach the Dutch constitution.[149][150]

Trial

Several groups and persons in The Netherlands have called for legal action against Wilders, while others have defended his right to free speech.[94] On 15 August 2007, a representative of the Prosecutors' Office in Amsterdam declared that dozens of reports against Wilders had been filed, and that they were all being considered.[151] Attempts to prosecute Wilders under Dutch anti-hate speech laws in June 2008 failed, with the public prosecutor's office stating that Wilders' comments contributed to the debate on Islam in Dutch society and also had been made outside parliament, The office released a statement reading: "That comments are hurtful and offensive for a large number of Muslims does not mean that they are punishable. Freedom of expression fulfils an essential role in public debate in a democratic society. That means that offensive comments can be made in a political debate".[94][152][153]

On 21 January 2009, a three-judge court ordered prosecutors to try him.[153][154]

The Middle East Forum has established a Legal Defence Fund for Wilders's defence.[155][156] The New York Times ran an op-ed criticizing his views and arguing that "for a man who calls for a ban on the Koran to act as the champion of free speech is a bit rich", concluding, however that the Lawsuit against Wilder might not be "a good thing for democracy", because it made him "look more important than he should be."[56]

A survey by Angus Reid Global Monitor has found that public opinion is deeply split on the prosecution, with 50% supporting Wilders and 43% opposed.[152] However, public support for the Party for Freedom greatly increased since Wilders' legal troubles began, with the Party for Freedom virtually tied with the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy to be the third most popular party.[44][157] According to Radio Netherlands, "Dutch politicians themselves seem to be keeping quiet on the issue; they are probably worried that media attention will only serve to make the controversial politician more popular".[37]

Documentary

Islam Rising: Geert Wilders’ Warning to the West is a one hour documentary about Geert Wilders, produced by PRB Films, an American company, in cooperation with Christian Action Network.[158]

In March 2010 Wilders was expected in Los Angeles for the premiere. However, he was reminded by Dutch journalists on the history of the crude anti-gay rhetoric and alleged homophobia of Martin Mawyer of the Christian Action Network and decided not to attend the event. Also Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller dropped their support because they were opposed to Christian Action Network's biblical view on homosexuality.[159]

"Wilders, fear prophet" is a documentary made by a public broadcaster about the facts behind what Geert claims about Islamic people. In this several quotes he took from the Koran were analyzed and concluded to be taken out of its context. [160]

Biography

In September or October 2010, an unauthorized political biography of Geert Wilders by Dutch political scientist Meindert Fennema (University of Amsterdam) will be published, titled De Tovenaarsleerling (The Sorcerer's Apprentice).[161][162][163]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Outspoken Dutch Politician Makes Inroads"
  2. ↑ Mock, Vanessa (2010-06-11). "Wilders makes shock gains in Dutch elections - Europe, World". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/wilders-makes-shock-gains-in-dutch-elections-1997293.html. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Surge for Dutch anti-Islam Freedom Party, BBC News, June 10, 2010.
  4. ↑ Roger Hardy. "Dutch Muslim women striving to integrate", BBC News, 28 April 2010.
  5. ↑ Robert Marquand. "Dutch voters boost far-right party of Geert Wilders", Christian Science Monitor, June 10, 2010.
  6. ↑ Chu, Henry (2009-10-03). "Unifying Dutch city falls to Muslim mayor". Los Angeles Times (Latimes.com). http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-rotterdam-mayor4-2009oct04,0,636055.story. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  7. ↑ "PVV: Leger inzetten tegen straatterreur Gouda". Elsevier.nl. 2008-09-15. http://www.elsevier.nl/web/10203372/Nieuws/Nederland/PVV-Leger-inzetten-tegen-straatterreur-Gouda.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  8. ↑ "PVV asks for rigorous approach of Moroccan street terrorists"
  9. ↑ "Amsterdam Court of Appeal orders the criminal prosecution of the Member of Parliament" www.rechtspraak.nl,21 January 2009
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Home Office letter to Geert Wilders" (PDF). http://www.geertwilders.nl/images/images/letter-denying-geert-wilders-entry-into-uk.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Anti-Islamic Dutch MP Geert Wilders wins right to enter Britain by Helen Nugent, The Times Online, 13 October 2009.
  12. ↑ "Dutch MP Geert Wilders’ visit mired in controversy". WCJB News. http://www.wcjb.co.uk/dutch-mp-geert-wilders%E2%80%99-visit-mired-in-controversy-26590. Retrieved 19 October 2009. 
  13. ↑ "Wilders: Fitna 2 not ready before elections". Expatica.com. http://www.expatica.com/nl/news/dutch-rss-news/wilders:-fitna-2-not-ready-before-elections_30016.html. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  14. ↑ Peter Beaumont, Almere (16 May 2010). "Geert Wilders, the ultra-right firebrand, campaigns to be Holland's prime minister - Radical anti-Islamic politics are under the microscope as a hero of the far right tries to capitalise on cultural divisions". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/16/geert-wilders-pvv-holland-netherlands. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  15. ↑ "Dutch elections = greater terrorism threat". Rnw.nl. 2010-04-07. http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/dutch-elections-greater-terrorism-threat. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Tyler, John (24 Jan. 2008). "Geert Wilders: Pushing the envelope". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/080124-wilders-biography. Retrieved 15 March 2008. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 "Iran Warns Netherlands Not to Air Controversial 'Anti-Muslim' Film". Fox News Channel. 21 Jan. 2008. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,324406,00.html. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  18. ↑ "G. Wilders - Parlement & Politiek" (in Dutch). Parlement.com. http://www.parlement.com/9291000/biof/02258. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 19.8 Traufetter, Gerald (27 March 2008). "A Missionary with Dark Visions". Der Spiegel. http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,543627,00.html. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 de Jong, Perro (4 September 2009). "Geert Wilders is one of us, say Indies immigrants". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/geert-wilders-one-us-say-indies-immigrants. Retrieved 16 Oct. 2009. 
  21. ↑ Dutch: Wreker van zijn Indische grootouders, De Groene Amsterdammer, 2 September 2009
  22. ↑ "Wilders reageert op speculaties over drijfveren" www.nu.nl,11 September 2009
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Liphshiz, Cnaan (11 Jan. 2008). "Far-right Dutch politician brings his anti-Islam rhetoric back to Jerusalem". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/943764.html. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 "Verliefd op Israël" (in Dutch). Volkskrant. 10 Apr. 2007. http://www.volkskrant.nl/archief_gratis/article585785.ece/Verliefd_op_Israel. Retrieved 21 Jun. 2009. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Kirby, Paul (27 March 2008). "Profile: Geert Wilders". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7314636.stm. Retrieved 13 March 2009. 
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 26.6 Stokmans, Derk (28 March 2008). "Who is Geert Wilders?". NRC Handelsblad. http://www.nrc.nl/international/article1876586.ece. Retrieved 13 March 2009. 
  27. ↑ Smith, Craig S (11 Nov. 2004). "Dutch Police Seize 2 in Raid on Terror Cell After a Siege". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/11/international/europe/11dutch.html. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  28. ↑ "Dutch 'must show' anti-Islam film". BBC. 10 March 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7287973.stm. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  29. ↑ "Death Threats Greet Dutch Lawmaker's Call to Ban the Koran". Cnsnews.com. 2007-08-10. http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/18507. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  30. ↑ "Kort nieuws binnenland" (in Dutch). NOS Nieuws. 28 Sep. 2007. http://www.nos.nl/nos/artikelen/2007/09/art000001C801D728638727.html. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  31. ↑ "Wilders most threatened politician". Dutch News. 13 March 2009. http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2009/03/wilders_most_threatened_politi.php. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  32. ↑ "Rapper bestraft voor bedreigen Wilders". Nrc.nl. http://www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article2441103.ece/Rapper_bestraft_voor_bedreigen_Wilders. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  33. ↑ Simons, Marlise (4 March 2005). "Tired of hiding, 2 Dutch legislators emerge". International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/03/03/news/journal.php. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  34. ↑ "Undercover journalist gains easy access to Geert Wilders". Nrc.nl. http://www.nrc.nl/international/article2453287.ece/Undercover_journalist_gains_easy_access_to_Geert_Wilders. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  35. ↑ "Geert Wilders: riding the hype". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. http://www.radionetherlands.nl/specialseries/wilders/. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Hurd, Dale (19 Feb. 2009). "VIDEO: Can Christians Support Geert Wilders". Christian Broadcasting Network. http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/544304.aspx. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Chadwick, Nicola (22 Jan. 2009). "Worldwide reactions to Wilders' prosecution". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/netherlands/090122-wilders-reactions. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  38. ↑ Meo, Nick (14 June 2009). "Dutch divided over Geert Wilders as radical MP eyes premiership". Sunday Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/5523238/Dutch-divided-over-Geert-Wilders-as-radical-MP-eyes-premiership.html. Retrieved 19 Jun. 2009. 
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 "Dutch Divided on Wilders Agenda". NIS News Bulletin. 15 March 2005. http://www.nisnews.nl/dossiers/immigration/150305_869.htm. Retrieved 15 March 2008. 
  40. ↑ "Dutch extreme-right MP calls for Koran ban". European Jewish Press. Agence France-Presse. 8 Aug. 2007. http://www.ejpress.org/article/19036. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 "Analysis: Geert Wilders, the bouffant-haired Dutch liberal who turned hardliner". Daily Mail. 12 Feb. 2009. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1142865/Analysis-Geert-Wilders-bouffant-haired-Dutch-liberal-turned-hardliner.html. Retrieved 13 March 2009. 
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 42.4 42.5 42.6 Gosden, Emily (11 Feb. 2009). "Far-right Dutch MP Geert Wilders vows to defy UK ban". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5710559.ece. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 West, Ed (2010-01-30). "''Geert Wilders is not far Right'', The Daily Telegraph". London: Blogs.telegraph.co.uk. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100024237/geert-wilders-is-not-far-right/. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 "Prosecution of Dutch populist will provide a judicial soap opera". The Irish Times. 11 Feb. 2009. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/0211/1233867931575.html. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  45. ↑ Weaver, Matthew (21 Jan. 2009). "Dutch court says anti-Islam MP must face race hatred prosecution". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/21/dutch-islam-race-hatred-prosecution. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  46. ↑ "''The Big Muslim Problem'', The Huffington Post". Huffingtonpost.com. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/02/the-big-muslim-problem_n_376767.html. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  47. ↑ "Geert Wilders, loved and loathed"
  48. ↑ "Saudi blogger posts video on Christian extremism". The Sydney Morning Herald. Associated Press. 11 Apr. 2008. http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/saudi-blogger-posts-video-on-christian-extremism/2008/04/11/1207856765174.html. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  49. ↑ Goodenough, Patrick (16 Nov. 2007). "Dutch Reject Call to Ban Koran But Worry About Islam". Cybercast News Service. Archived from the original on 2007-12-08. http://web.archive.org/web/20071208055139/http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200708/INT20070816a.html. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  50. ↑ Z., Jonas (2 Apr. 2008). "Aboutaleb reprimands Wilders" (in Dutch). FOK news. http://frontpage.fok.nl/nieuws/87364. Retrieved 15 March 2008. 
  51. ↑ "Wilders politicus van 2007" (in Dutch). NOS Journaal. 14 Dec. 2007. http://www.nos.nl/nosjournaal/artikelen/2007/12/15/151207_politicus2007.html. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  52. ↑ "Wilders uitgeroepen tot winnaar in NOS-peiling" (in Dutch). nu.nl. 15 Dec. 2007. http://www.nu.nl/algemeen/1357033/wilders-uitgeroepen-tot-winnaar-in-nos-peiling.html. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  53. ↑ Steen, Michael (27 Dec. 2007). "Anti-Islamic outsider is top Dutch politician". Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/54328258-b407-11dc-a6df-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 Lubań, Daniel; Clifton, Eli (3 March 2009). "U.S. Politicians Warmly Greet Reactionary Dutch Islamophobe". Inter Press Service (AlterNet). http://www.alternet.org/audits/129718/u.s._politicians_warmly_greet_reactionary_dutch_islamophobe/. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  55. ↑ Stephens, Bret (17 Feb. 2009). "Geert Wilders Is a Test for Western Civilization". The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123483168531395775.html. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  56. ↑ 56.0 56.1 Buruma, Ian (29 Jan. 2009). "Totally Tolerant, Up to a Point". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/opinion/30buruma.html. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 57.2 Ahmed, Nazir (13 Feb. 2009). "Wilders' ban is in Britain's best interests". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/13/geert-wilders-extremists-liberty-central. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  58. ↑ 58.0 58.1 58.2 "Mr Wilderss contribution to the parliamentary debate on Islamic activism". Groep Wilders. 6 Sep. 2007. http://www.groepwilders.com/website/details.aspx?ID=44. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  59. ↑ Kongstad, Jesper (4 Feb. 2009). "Wilders: "Jeg er dybt skuffet over Fogh" (Mr. Wilders writing in the Danish Newspaper Jyllands-Posten)" (in Danish). Jyllands-Posten. http://jp.dk/arkiv/?id=1591806. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 Bostom, Andrew G. (22 Feb. 2009). "Geert Wilders and the 'Koran Ban'". American Thinker. http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/02/geert_wilders_and_the_koran_ba.html. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  61. ↑ 61.0 61.1 61.2 61.3 61.4 Traynor, Ian (17 Feb. 2008). "'I don't hate Muslims. I hate Islam,' says Holland's rising political star". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/17/netherlands.islam. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  62. ↑ "Party furious over spoof Wilders murder film". Rnw.nl. http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/party-furious-over-spoof-wilders-murder-film. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  63. ↑ "Geert Wilders en Ayaan Hirsi Ali op dodenlijst"
  64. ↑ "Wilders' security breached"
  65. ↑ Europese verkiezingen 2009 (Gemeente Utrecht, 6 July 2009)
  66. ↑ "Geert Wilders Fitna Movie Timeline". FeceOnAir.com. http://www.fitnathemovie.info/timeline.php. Retrieved 8 March 2008. 
  67. ↑ Richburg, Keith B. (2005-02-01). "Washingtonpost.com". Washingtonpost.com. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52502-2005Jan31.html. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  68. ↑ "Election Pamphlet". Party for Freedom. http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://www.pvv.nl/&ei=rsCUSdR8m9jKBZ6hrYYK&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpvv%26hl%3Den. Retrieved 12 Feb. 2009. 
  69. ↑ Burns, John (12 Feb. 2009). "Britain Refuses Entry to Dutch Lawmaker Whose Remarks and Film Have Angered Muslims". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/world/europe/13britain.html. Retrieved 13 March 2009. 
  70. ↑ "Wilders: I want to be prime minister". Dutchnews.nl. 2009-03-17. http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2009/03/wilders_i_want_to_be_prime_min.php. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 "Geert Wilders' Freedom Party rises to 32 seats". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. 29 March 2009. http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/zijlijn/6235703/Geert-Wilders-Freedom-Party-rises-to-32-seats. Retrieved 29 March 2009. 
  72. ↑ 72.0 72.1 Waterfield, Bruno (3 March 2009). "Geert Wilders leads Dutch polls". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/4933687/Geert-Wilders-leads-Dutch-polls.html. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  73. ↑ "Wilders' Freedom Party leads polls". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. 1 March 2009. http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/zijlijn/6196336/Wilders-Freedom-Party-leads-polls. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  74. ↑ "Wilders Now a Celebrity in US and Prime Minister in Poll". NIS News Bulletin. 3 March 2009. http://www.nisnews.nl/public/030309_1.htm. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  75. ↑ "Wilders to take council seat in the Hague". Dutchnews.nl. 2010-03-08. http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2010/03/wilders_to_take_council_seat_i.php. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  76. ↑ "Anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders has announced he will take up a seat on the local council of the city of The Hague". Rnw.nl. 2010-03-08. http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/dutch-anti-Islam-MP-Wilders-wins-council-seat. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  77. ↑ 77.0 77.1 77.2 Sackur, Steven (22 March 2006). "Geert Wilders". HARDtalk. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/4833890.stm. Retrieved 30 March 2008. 
  78. ↑ "PVV plies to reunite Flanders and the Netherlands"
  79. ↑ "Klare Wijn" (in Dutch). Party for Freedom. 31 March 2006. http://www.pvv.nl/index.php?option=com_deeppockets&task=contShow&id=362&Itemid=22. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  80. ↑ Wilders, Geert. "Klare Wijn", GeertWilders.nl. English version
  81. ↑ Waterfield, Bruno (14 Aug. 2007). "Ban Koran like Mein Kampf, says Dutch MP". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1559877/Ban-Koran-like-Mein-Kampf-says-Dutch-MP.html. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  82. ↑ Wilders, Geert (8 Aug. 2007). "Genoeg is genoeg: verbied de Koran" (in Dutch). De Volkskrant. http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article451338.ece/Genoeg_is_genoeg_verbied_de_Koran. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  83. ↑ "Wilders: verbied de Koran, ook in moskee" (in Dutch). De Volkskrant. 8 August 2007. http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article451302.ece/Wilders_verbied_de_Koran%2C_ook_in_moskee. Retrieved 8 Aug. 2007. 
  84. ↑ den Boer, Nicolien (8 Jan. 2007). "'Qur'an should be banned' - Wilders strikes again". Radio Netherlands. http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/ned070808mc. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  85. ↑ "Speech by Geert Wilders on the first day of the General Debate in the Dutch parliament". geertwilders.nl. 18 September 2009. http://www.geertwilders.nl/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=1595. 
  86. ↑ "Wilders: get rid of half of Koran!". Expatica (Internet Archive). 13 Feb. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-05-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20070514083622/http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=1&story_id=36456. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  87. ↑ (Dutch) De sterke wil van Wilders - Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad, 03 oktober 2005
  88. ↑ 88.0 88.1 Jun. 2009/amerikaanse-wilders-fans-foremost-hero-our-age Broadcast, Netwerk, 10 June 2009.
  89. ↑ Liphshiz, Cnaan. "Dutch anti-Islam MP: 'Israel is West's first line of defense'". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093861.html. Retrieved 11 October 2009. 
  90. ↑ "Geert Wilders: Change Jordan's name to Palestine." Roee Nahmias, Israel News, June 20, 2010.
  91. ↑ http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=142989&language=en
  92. ↑ http://www.masada2000.org
  93. ↑ "Hold your breath: 'Fitna' spreading seeds of hatred". Today's Zaman. 29 March 2008. http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=137624. Retrieved 1 Apr. 2008. 
  94. ↑ 94.0 94.1 94.2 "Holland declines to prosecute anti-Islam politician". International Herald Tribune. Reuters. 30 Jun. 2008. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/30/europe/dutch.php. Retrieved 14 March 2009. 
  95. ↑ "Wilders faces arrest by Jordan over Fitna". Dutch News. 20 Jun. 2008. http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2008/06/wilders_may_face_arrest_by_jor.php. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  96. ↑ Liphshiz, Cnaan (13 Feb. 2009). "Dutch lawmaker banned from U.K. to take anti-Koran film on 'world tour'". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1063986.html. Retrieved 13 March 2009. 
  97. ↑ 97.0 97.1 O'Connor, Anahad (26 Feb. 2009). "Mr. Wilders Goes to Washington". The New York Times. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/mr-wilders-goes-to-washington/. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  98. ↑ Poole, Patrick (1 March 2009). "Was CPAC an Epic Fail?". Pajamas Media. p. 2. http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/was-cpac-an-epic-fail/2/. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  99. ↑ "Political row in Denmark over Geert Wilders". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. 25 March 2009. http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/netherlands/090325-geert-wilders-denmark. Retrieved 30 March 2009. 
  100. ↑ 100.0 100.1 Hope, Cristopher; Bingham, John and Waterfield, Bruno (13 Feb. 2009). "Dutch MP Geert Wilders deported after flying to Britain to show anti-Islamic film". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/4603165/Dutch-MP-Geert-Wilders-deported-after-flying-to-Britain-to-show-anti-Islamic-film.html. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  101. ↑ Steen, Michael (11 Feb. 2009). "Dutch party chief barred from UK". Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/00213dde-f7a0-11dd-a284-000077b07658.html. Retrieved 15 March 2009. 
  102. ↑ Russell, Ben (2009-02-13). "A red carpet premiere missing its star". London: Independent.co.uk. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/a-red-carpet-premiere-missing-its-star-1608208.html. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
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  104. ↑ 104.0 104.1 Marsden, Sam; Rouse, Beverley (2009-02-12). "Dutch politician refused entry at Heathrow". London: Independent.co.uk. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dutch-politician-refused-entry-at-heathrow-1607694.html. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
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  117. ↑ Davis, Margaret (2009-10-16). "UK protests confront Dutch far-right MP". London: Independent.co.uk. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-protests-confront-dutch-farright-mp-1803855.html. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
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  119. ↑ "Geert Wilders Speech to the House of Lords". Avideditor.wordpress.com. 2010-04-01. http://avideditor.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/geert-wilders-great-speech-to-the-house-of-lords/. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
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  156. ↑ Meforum.org
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  158. ↑ (Dutch) Amerikaanse film met Wilders in de hoofdrol, de Volkskrant, 23 March 2010
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