“Islam is a violent ideology one that comes with hate and terror and thus has no place  in Netherlands.”

This is Geert Wilders, the leader of the Dutch ‘Party For Freedom’ (PVV) thoughts on Islam in his latest speech in November. He goes on to claim that a Muslim majority state such as Turkey does not belong in the European Union and “democracy, freedom and human rights are incompatible with Islam”. 

He has recently won 37 seats, well ahead of his nearest rival, a left-wing alliance. He claims his target is 76 seats in the 150-seat parliament, and it seems he is en route to achieving this goal which Dutch citizens should be concerned about.

This rapidly growing sentiment among political parties in the Netherlands claiming that Islam is an enemy of the Dutch way of life displays not only a lack of historical understanding and knowledge of their own country, but is also a telling metaphor of how Islamophobia is usually festered – through pure ignorance. 

The history of the Netherlands reveals an ironic twist in Wilders’ Islamophobic stance. The birth of the Dutch nation divulges a cardinal Islamic influence, one which the Dutch should be eternally thankful for as it granted them sovereignty of their own country. 

The conception of the Netherlands as an independent country begins in 1568 with the  ‘Eighty Years War’ , an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between a disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. A prominent figure during this time and the leader of said revolts was a nobleman known as ‘William of Orange’ who many Dutch people today regard as the founding father of the Netherlands.

William Of Orange, who converted from Catholicism to Protestantism in secrecy, thus leading to his nickname ‘William the Silent’ ,as revealing his conversion would lead to his demise under colonial religious oppression from Spain, sought a nation where freedom of religion could thrive. He knew this wasn’t possible under Spanish Catholic colonial rule thus reaching out to the Ottomons for aid as Islamic rulers were known for religious tolerance and many Muslim countries at the time ruled over Christian’s and Jews together in peace. At the time this was unheard of as all the historic Christian empires were built on oppressive proselytisic ruling.

The Ottomans provided crucial support in the Dutch Revolt, contributing to the eventual independence of the Netherlands. The historical collaboration is commemorated until this day where in the streets of Netherlands there are statues of Dutch historical figures donning fezzes and crescents (the very symbol of Islam), symbolising the alliance with the Ottomans and an eternal gratitude to Muslims.

It is important to understand Islamic positive historic influence on the Netherlands ( and the whole world) is directly because of the religion and not despite it. The reason why the Ottomans ruled with religious tolerance is purely because the Quran teaches Muslims to respect other faiths (this is observed in Chapter 109 ‘Surah Al Kafirun’) which is why Dutch Muslims are currently confused at Geerts claim that “democracy freedom and human rights are incompatible with Islam.”

It seems once again a political Islamophobic agenda that is being pushed is rooted in ignorance and xenophobia and once the facts and history are analysed a different conclusion is drawn.