Dutch populist leader Geert Wilders is once again in legal trouble over remarks against the religion of Islam, prosecutors confirmed Friday.
Wilders allegedly called Islam an “ideology of war and hatred” during a 2015 speech in Vienna. Austrian authorities have requested the Dutch government pursue a complaint on the comments.
“Islam calls people to be terrorists: the Koran leaves no doubt about it,” Wilders reportedly said, according to Dutch News.
The Austrian Freedom Party invited the Dutch Freedom Party leader to speak at an event. Tarafa Baghajati, the chairman of the Austrian Muslim Initiative, filed an official complaint shortly after Wilders’ speech.
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“Wilders gave the impression that all Muslims are here to make war against Europeans,” Baghajati reportedly said, according to Dutch News. “It made me think above all of the Nazi rhetoric of the 1930s.”
Wilders has a long history of finding himself in legal trouble over his outspoken character. He was convicted of “inciting racial discrimination” in December after asking people if they want more or fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands. The verdict was symbolic and did not include any penalties.
Unbelievable. Let them catch bandits and terrorists instead of prosecuting a politician for speaking the truth about Islam. https://t.co/2lytyCl2ks
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) June 2, 2017
Wilders reacted to the new investigation on Twitter, urging authorities to investigate terrorists instead of politicians.
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