News > Politics > Tolerant of the Intolerant No More

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FRIDAY NOVEMBER 19 2004 11:57 PM

Tolerant of the Intolerant No More

Submitted by Sean

Edited by Sean

The Dutch tolerate a lot of things in their society: marijuana, prostitution and gay marriage are all perfectly legal in The Netherlands. However some Dutch have begun to feel their tolerance of other cultures is being used against them.

One of the most popular politicians in the Netherlands said Friday the country's democracy is under threat and called for a five-year halt to non-Western immigration in the wake of the killing of a Dutch filmmaker by a suspected Muslim radical.

"We are a Dutch democratic society. We have our own norms and values," right-wing lawmaker Geert Wilders told The Associated Press in an interview. "If you chose radical Islam you can leave, and if you don't leave voluntarily then we will send you away. This is the only message possible."

In his first interview with the foreign media since the slaying of filmmaker Theo van Gogh on Nov. 2, Wilders said his own life has been repeatedly threatened. He said he has begun living under state protection and has even had to stay away from his own home.

Wilders split with the free-market coalition partner Liberal Party two months ago because it backed the candidacy of predominantly Muslim Turkey for the European Union.

He formed his own conservative party, the Wilders Group, which has one seat in the 150-member parliament. But a recent poll suggested his anti-immigrant message was reverberating through the electorate, and he would win 24 seats if elections were held today -- up from 19 seats before Van Gogh's murder.

Wilders said that without swift, bold action, Islamic fundamentalism will topple the country's democratic system.

"The Netherlands has been too tolerant to intolerant people for too long," he said. "We should not import a retarded political Islamic society to our country. There is nothing to be ashamed of to say this. It's not Islam. I speak out against the facts."

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Comments

shawna

Marquette, MI

April 2004

NOV 20, 2004 12:46 AM

Islamic fundamentalism has nothing to do with it. There can be such a thing as a non-terrorist muslim fundamentalist.

Personally I think this is a step in the wrong direction for the Dutch...

And also, what a fucking idiot-- "It's not Islam. I speak out against the facts." translates into, "we should ban all followers of Islam, but it has nothing to do with their religion."

Ugh.

InfernoMDM

Hilton Head Island, SC

July 2003

NOV 20, 2004 12:53 AM

That sucks. Wonder if it has popular support. Guess time will tell.

Hexe

HOPEFUL

I'm lost

NOV 20, 2004 12:57 AM

oipthestampede said:
"I call it the Belgian Dip"

That came to mind for some reason.

ha ha.

crispy

NEWSWIRE

Philadelphia, PA

NOV 20, 2004 01:06 AM

Shawna said:
Islamic fundamentalism has nothing to do with it. There can be such a thing as a non-terrorist muslim fundamentalist.

Personally I think this is a step in the wrong direction for the Dutch...

And also, what a fucking idiot-- "It's not Islam. I speak out against the facts." translates into, "we should ban all followers of Islam, but it has nothing to do with their religion."

Ugh.

From the article: The latest video threat broadcast on the Internet -- in Dutch, with Arabic music in the background -- condemns Wilders for insulting Islam and offers the reward of paradise for his beheading.

Yeah, he should let them all in and let the lottery begin.

Give me a fucking break.

Snottlebocket

Netherlands

March 2004

NOV 20, 2004 02:48 AM

something does need to be done but that guy is kind of a idiot that always comes up with these extreme unpractical solutions.
i don't think anyone ever listens to him anyway.

Nixon

SUICIDEGIRL

California, USA

NOV 20, 2004 02:55 AM

Can I start kicking large groups of people out of the US?

llouys

Brazil

August 2003

NOV 20, 2004 02:58 AM

Nixon said:
Can I start kicking large groups of people out of the US?

if they are in red states.

HAH!

I SLAY ME!

MetaTag

United Kingdom

September 2002

NOV 20, 2004 06:22 AM

A white, Dutch man kills Pim Fortuyn. Result: Shoulders shrug.

A coloured, Dutch man kills a white, Dutch man. Result: Outrage, our culture is threatened. Throw out the foreigners. They are not like us.

Spot any bias?

jake_lex

Lexington, KY

February 2003

NOV 20, 2004 07:31 AM

Here's what you do: you condemn people who say shitty things like "All the non-Muslim infidels should be slaughtered in the name of Allah", but you don't just round up all Muslims and kick them out or throw them in prison. Rather, you work to take down those who are actually planning terrorist actions; you dismantle real, actual terrorist cells, you stamp out terrorist training camps.

It is entirely possible to fight terrorism without falling into fascism. You can't do it using this guy's tactics though.