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Geert Wilders: riding the hype

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Geert Wilders: riding the hype

He is one of the best-known Dutch politicians. His views about Islam have offended Muslims and non-Muslims alike, within the Netherlands and around the world. He's the most famous bleach-blond since Marilyn Monroe. And he's released a controversial anti-Islam film, called Fitna, or "Strife" or "Ordeal" in Arabic. But just who is Geert Wilders, and what makes him tick?

- Link to Fitna the Movie
It's said that the turning point in Wilders' life came when he spent some time in Israel in the 1980s. To this day he maintains a strong bond with the country. Back in the Netherlands, he won a seat in parliament for the conservative VVD in 1998. He became party spokesperson on foreign policy. His colleagues were impressed by the breadth of his knowledge of the Middle East.

- RNW movie: 'About Fitna'
- Geert Wilders profile
- Dutch government worried
- Concern among Dutch expats
His extreme views, particularly his concern about the Islamification of the Netherlands, were not yet in evidence. That began to change after 9/11. He left the VVD and started his own Freedom Party, which holds nine seats in the 150-seat parliament.

Below you can find a selection of recent articles on the man who's firmly held the right-wing monopoly in the Islam debate in the Netherlands.

 

'I Muslima', a personal response to 'Fitna'

Video - Many Indonesian Muslims do not recognize the violent portrayal of Islam by Dutch MP Geert Wilders. A 70-minute documentary shows how Mr Wilders' relentless Islam-bashing is affecting them.

 

Wilders plans second anti-Islam film

Dutch rightwing MP Geert Wilders is planning to make a follow-up to his controversial anti-Islam film, Fitna. His new piece will deal with the negative effects of what he calls the advance of Islam in Western countries.

 

Political row in Denmark over Geert Wilders

Political parties in Denmark are arguing over whether to invite controversial Dutch politican Geert Wilders to a conference in Copenhagen on freedom of speech and radicalisation.

 

Wilders’ supporters - what do they want?

Geert Wilders for Prime Minister! That's what MP Geert Wilders wants, he said on Monday. His Freedom Party scores high in opinion polls. So who is voting for Wilders?

 

Wilders' Freedom Party leads polls

Surpassing his populist predecessors Pim Fortuyn and Rita Verdonk, Dutch right-wing anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders' PVV would become the biggest elected party, according to a recent survey.

 

Press Review 2 March 2009

Is Wilders the new Pim Fortuyn? The Netherlands' 13th province. Environmental groups appeal to PM to help save Amazon. Public interests sacrificed to market. God gets mobile phone.

 

Fitna goes Stateside

Anti-Islam campaigner and Dutch opposition MP Geert Wilders is showing his film Fitna in the US. Apart from CNN and Fox TV the controversial MP's visit attracted little media attention.

 

Should Geert Wilders be free to enter Britain?

The British government refused entry to Dutch right-wing MP Geert Wilders on the grounds that he incites hatred towards Muslims. Should he be allowed to travel freely? Should states be allowed to block his entry? Let us know what you think.

 

Few attend UK screening of Wilders' film

The film Fitna was shown in the British upper house of parliament on Thursday despite the British authorities' refusal to allow its maker, Dutch MP Geert Wilders, into the country. Only around 30 people attended the screening.

 

UK sends Wilders home

Dutch MP Geert Wilders has been refused entry by the British government over his anti-Islamic statements. At the airport, he was detained by Customs officials who advised that he return to the Netherlands immediately.

 

Wilders on plane to UK despite entry ban

Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders is on board a plane travelling to Britain. The British government has barred him from entering. Most likely he will be turned back when he arrives in the UK.

 

Dutch MP Wilders refused entry to UK

Dutch right-wing politician and controversial anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders has been refused entry to the United Kingdom on the grounds that his visit would 'pose a threat to public security'.

 

Top lawyer to defend Dutch anti-Islam MP Wilders

Opposition MP Geert Wilders, charged with inciting hatred against Muslims, has hired top lawyer Bram Moszkowicz to get him out of the court case. Mr Wilders promises "a ruthless fight".

 

Radical Muslim preacher welcome in Rotterdam

Geert Wilders' Freedom Party wants to bar a radical Muslim preacher from lecturing in the Netherlands, but the justice minister says he can come and speak.

 

Freedom of speech in the dock

Wednesday's appeal court decision that the prosecution of right-wing Dutch MP Geert Wilders should go ahead brings into renewed focus the dilemma of balancing freedom of speech against other considerations.

 

Worldwide reactions to Wilders' prosecution

We take a look at the reactions on newspaper websites and blogs around the world to the announcement that Dutch MP Geert Wilders is to face prosecution for discriminatory remarks.

 

Wilders on trial - what do you think?

Islam critic Dutch MP Geert Wilders has been charged with inciting hatred. What's your view: should he be allowed to accuse Islam of fostering terrorism?

 

Geert Wilders to be prosecuted

The controversial right-wing populist politician Geert Wilders is to be prosecuted for anti-Islamic remarks. An Amsterdam court has overturned a previous ruling from the public prosecutor that he would not face charges.

 

Dutch politician presents another Islam film

After Fitna and Submission, a young Iranian-born Dutchman Ehsan Jami has made a film about Islam. In an Interview with Muhammad, Mr Jami presents a more modern-thinking prophet.

 

Will populist TV be popular?

Proud to be populist. That's the attitude of rightwing politician Ronald Sörensen, announcing the launch of a new Dutch broadcasting organisation to stand up for a popular agenda: the Populist Broadcasting Company.

 

European Parliament says ‘No’ to anti-Islam film Fitna

The European Parliament has banned the screening on its premises of the anti-Islam movie Fitna. The maker of the film, Dutch right-wing MP and Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders, said it was a sad day for democracy.

 

Jordan to prosecute Dutch MP over anti-Islam film

Jordan is preparing a criminal case against Dutch MP Geert Wilders because of his anti-Islam film, Fitna. Dutch Foreign Minister Verhagen says he will not summon the Jordanian ambassador over this case.

 

Dutch companies fear Jordanian boycott

Fearful of a Jordanian boycott of their products, two Dutch companies have distanced themselves from the film Fitna, produced and released earlier this year by Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders.

 

‘Don’t mess with freedom of expression’

The arrest of a Dutch cartoonist targeting Muslims and blacks was not politically motivated, says Justice Minister Hirsch Ballin. The opposition smells a whiff of censorship in the Netherlands.

 

Iran's anti-Wilders film lacks controversy

Iran's previously announced rebuttal to Geert Wilders' Islam film Fitna was released this week. The anti-Fitna film seeks to prove that Islam is a peaceful religion and that Christianity is violent.

 

Call for boycott of Dutch products in Egypt

A popular Egyptian TV programme is campaigning for a two-week boycott of Dutch products in protest at MP Geert Wilders' anti-Qur'an film, Fitna. But moderate Muslims in Egypt don't agree with the idea.

 

Dutch parliament debates MP Wilders' Fitna movie

The Dutch parliament put aside all other business to discuss the anti-Qur'an film of opposition MP Geert Wilders. He accused the cabinet of lying and submitted a motion of no confidence against the government.

 

Islamic countries want Dutch to ban Wilders movie

The ambassadors of 26 Islamic countries have asked the Netherlands to ban the film Fitna. The movie was made by Dutch right-wing populist MP Geert Wilders and portrays Islam as a religion of terror.

 

Moderate response to anti-Islam movie

Fitna, the film by right-wing populist politician Geert Wilders on what he sees as the dangers of Islam, has triggered widespread media attention in Muslim countries but no fierce protests.

 

Dutch relief about anti-Islam film

The initial reaction in the Netherlands to the long-awaited showing of politician Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam film is one of relief. The general assessment is that 'Fitna' is much less inflammatory than expected.

 

Anti-Islam film Fitna online

Geert Wilders' anti-Islam movie has gone online. The film titled Fitna shows verses of the Qur'an alternating with graphic scenes of recent acts of terror. Stop Islamisation and defend our freedom is the central message.

 

A most ingenious paradox

“Honestly, I couldn't think of a deadlier way to depict the Dutch Muslim community as a fifth column of Wilders-bashing, freedom-hating fundamentalists" – Perro de Jong upholds his own freedom of speech.

 

Chronicle of a film foretold

For months now, the Netherlands has been in the grip of the anti-Qur'an film announced by politician Geert Wilders. What exactly is going on in the Netherlands? And why doesn't the Dutch government ban the film?

 

Joining forces to limit Fitna's impact

'Fitna', the much anticipated anti Qur'an film by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, is already casting such a long shadow that a number of Dutch Christians and Muslims think it is time to take action.

 

'About Fitna': why the Dutch allow an anti-Qur'an movie

The government of the Netherlands says it is unable to stop the release of an anti-Qur'an movie. RNW explains why and answers more questions, in a film of its own, released on Friday.

 

That film, and oh yes, everything else

This week's column brings both a sense of déjà vu and a sense of steadily mounting intensity as the column inches grow surrounding the still unreleased film Fitna by right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

 

Dutch Muslims surprised by anti-Wilders ad

Dutch-Jewish television producer Harry de Winter has surprised Muslims by taking out a full-page newspaper advertisement denouncing the anti-Islam views of right-wing MP Geert Wilders.

 

Philosopher Jürgen Habermas on Geert Wilders

The world-famous German pilosopher Jürgen Habermas’ gave a lecture on contemporary issues like multiculturalism and Islam in the ‘post-secular’ society. Habermas believes Geert Wilders intends to polarise.

 

Wilders' film pushes up Dutch terror alert

The situation surrounding the anti-Qur'an film by Dutch MP Geert Wilders remains tense, with Anti-Terrorism Coordinator Tjibbe Joustra saying the Netherlands is at increased risked of terrorist attack.

 

Wilders and his film worry Dutch expats

Dutch people living abroad are worried about right-wing politician Geert Wilders and his anti-Qur'an film. Dutch expats in Islamic countries say they are already having problems; some are even concerned about their safety.

 

The diplomatic tightrope over the Wilders film

Egypt has revoked its ban on a Dutch entry at the Cairo International Film Festival for Children. But the rumpus continues over the imminent release of an anti-Islam film by Dutch MP Geert Wilders.

 

Press Review 29 February 2008

Commotion around Geert Wilders' Qur'an film. Publicity detrimental to mental well-being of Joran van der Sloot. Poles don't stay long in the Netherlands. Higher annuities for smokers. Dutch Protestant cartoon protest 'feeble'.

 

Egypt boycotts Dutch children's film

'Fitna,' a Dutch anti-Qur'an movie which no-one has seen yet, is the reason why the Cairo International Film Festival for Children is refusing to show Dutch and Danish films.

 

Europe should explain Wilders to world

Europe should explain to the world why democratic values prevent the Dutch government from banning an anti-Qur'an movie by MP Geert Wilders, says Democrat MP and former cabinet minister Alexander Pechtold.

 

Dutch cabinet gravely worried about Wilders film

The Dutch Prime Minister calls on anti-Islamic MP Geert Wilders to look into his conscience and realise what he may be responsible for, once he releases his anti-Qur'an movie 'Fitna'.

 

"Anti Qur'an-movie endangers Dutch interests"

MP Geert Wilders' planned movie describing the Holy Qur'an as a book inspiring violence, hatred and inequality is putting Dutch people and Dutch interests abroad at risk, says Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.

 

Islamophobia on the rise in the Netherlands

A European rights watchdog says Islamophobia is gaining ground in the Netherlands, and it's symptomatic of a bigger problem of racism across Europe in general.

 

Art and lies

"These days of course, we're more likely to get worked up about Muhammad the teddy bear than about Jesus the gay donkey. " - column by Perro de Jong

 

Geert Wilders: Pushing the envelope

He is one of the best-known Dutch politicians. His views about Islam have offended Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Who is Geert Wilders, and what makes him tick?

 

Labour joins "cordon sanitaire" against Wilders

Dutch Labour Party leader Wouter Bos has ruled out any possibility of his party ever governing in a coalition with Geert Wilders' rightwing populist Freedom Party. He described it as being "totally unthinkable".

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