Dutch Muslims worried by Wilders’ election victory

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AA) – The Muslim community in the Netherlands is worried by the results of last Wednesday’s elections, in which Geert Wilders’ far-right Islamophobic Party for Freedom (PVV) emerged as the top party.

Speaking to the media, Muhsin Koktas, head of the Contact Body for Muslims and Government, said that the victory of Wilders is a source of deep anxiety. Wilders is well known for having argued that mosques, Islamic community schools and the Quran don’t belong in the Netherlands.

“The election results are both frustrating and worrying for the future of the country’s Muslims. If he finds the opportunity to fulfill the promises he made during the election campaign, Muslims can’t live in the county,” he said.

Stressing that Wilders’ pledges are against the law, Koktas said that even if they cannot do everything they promised, Wilders and other right-wing parties could do things that would make life harder for Muslims.

Tougher days lie ahead, he said, adding that they would continue to fight for the equal rights and protection of Dutch Muslims nonetheless.

Kenan Aslan, foreign policy chief of the Milli Gorus Organization of the Islamic Community in the South Holland Region, pointed to Wilders’ decades of notorious anti-Islam rhetoric.

“His remarks, particularly against foreigners and Muslims, make us anxious. He may try to ban the Quran and close down mosques,” he said.