Dutch Muslims 'will not be silenced' by Geert Wilders and the politics of fear

Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders, who is expected to win 13% of votes in the election on 15 March, has vowed to 'de-Islamise' the Netherlands by closing all mosques and Islamic schools.

The leader of the Freedom Party (PVV) has called for the banning of Sharia law and compared the Quran to Mein Kampf, claiming it is full of "calls inciting violence".

His conviction for hate speech in December 2016 has done little to soften his stance on Muslims and immigrants. After US President Donald Trump brought in a travel ban on citizens from seven majority-Muslim nations, Wilders called for a total ban on immigration from Islamic countries. At his campaign launch he referred to Moroccans as "scum" and promised that his party would "make the Netherlands for Dutch people again".

Although Wilders is unlikely to be in the coalition – all major parties have ruled out collaborating with him – Dutch Muslims are afraid. They say Wilders' rhetoric is fuelling anti-Islamic sentiment in the Netherlands and has left many Muslims feeling unsafe and no longer welcome in their own country.

Politics of fear

"Muslims are afraid because they feel they are getting less and less room to be themselves in [our] society," says Marianne Vorthoren, the director of the Platform for Islamic Societies in Rotterdam (SPIOR). "It is not just a feeling, it is our reality. We are seeing an increase in Islamophobic attacks.

"[Muslims] tell us that they have decided to no longer wear their headscarf because they don't feel safe [doing so]. This is a sad fact for our society that people feel 'I have to hide myself to be safe.'"

"The Netherlands is transforming from a tolerant country into a fearful nation," says Ertugrul Gokcekuyu, the vice-rector of the Islamic University in Rotterdam. "This political climate does not serve the public good. It just makes it more dangerous."

With Islamophobic incidents on the rise and the PVV predicted to become the second largest party in parliament, Muslims in the Netherlands are concerned about what the future holds.

"Islam is part of the multicultural Dutch society"

Prime Minister Mark Rutte was accused of pandering to PVV voters after he published an open letter telling immigrants who do not respect Dutch values to leave.

Imam Azzedine Karrat of the Essalam Mosque in Rotterdam, the country's largest mosque, says such rhetoric is divisive and fails to recognise that "Islam is a European and Dutch religion".

"[If the prime minister is suggesting] that Muslims and other ethnic minorities have to adapt, push aside their identity to be party of Dutch society, then I say to Mr Rutte: 'You are wrong, your norms and values are not those of Dutch society.' Those values are formed by the multicultural society and by the power of diversity. Muslims should be accepted as part of Dutch society," he tells IBTimes UK.

Gokcekuyu says many politicians are failing and refusing to recognise that "Western societies are multicultural" and are trying to constrain people's sense of identity and autonomy.

"It's come to a point that politics is telling us how to feel, what to feel, what to think. I think that is too much politics."

Resisting Wilders' populist rhetoric

On 10 March representatives from the main political parties took part in a debate about Islam at the Essalam Mosque. Both the VVD and PVV declined the invitation. Wilders responded on Twitter: "No way. Except if I am allowed to close that mega mosque. And then the others #deislamisation."

The PVV leader has so far not taken part in a televised debate. His first and only appearance will be tonight (13 March), two days before the election, when he will debate his main rival and former coalition partner, Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Gokcekuyu says it is problematic that Wilders "doesn't give the media and the public the opportunity to ask questions". At a debate he would not have "the option to hide" but would be forced to outline his vision for the Netherlands and engage with people who hold different opinions to him. "Differences are good. They just force us to respect each other."

"You have to debate, especially with the people you fundamentally disagree with. It's such an important aspect of our democratic system," says Vorthoren. "Wilders pretends that there is a simple situation with a simple solution. But that is not reality. We live in a complex reality and we have to look for solutions together."

Both Vorthoren and Gokcekuyu do not think Wilders is serious about being in the coalition as he would then be forced to make compromises. "The support his party has now is not based on constructive solutions and the willingness to compromise," says Vorthoren.

Encouraging Muslims to vote has always been difficult, Imam Karrat admits. "[Many of them] distrust the government. They think that even if they vote, nothing will change. But this year we will do our utmost as Muslims to ensure that our voices are loudly heard and to show that 'we are here and we should be taken into account'."

There is too much focus on the political extremes right now, Vorthoren says. We should not lose sight of the silent majority in the middle. "The majority of people [wish] to be connected with each other and to live together peacefully," she says. "I hope the silent majority will be represented [in politics]. In the end that is defining for the future of our country. The only way to change [what is happening right now] is to get involved and to make sure your voice is heard."