Dutch Politician Geert Wilders has expressed support for ex BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who was suspended over her controversial statements against Prophet Mohummad and his wife Aisha. He's been tweeting frequently in favour of Sharma, even calling her "heroic."
Wilders stated in one of his numerous Twitter posts,
Wilders also shared a photo of Sharma with the text “I support Nupur Sharma” on Twitter.
Another tweet by Wilders read as follows:
“Appeasement never works. It will only make things worse. So, my dear friends from India, don't be intimidated by Islamic countries. Stand up for freedom and be proud and steadfast in defending your politician Nupur Sharma who spoke the truth about Muhammad.”
The Dutch legislator, who contested for the Dutch elections in 2017 but was ultimately defeated, said that Islamic countries have “no democracy, no rule of law (and) no freedom.”
In a post on the micro-blogging site, Wilders wrote,
For their views about the Prophet, Sharma and former Delhi BJP media cell leader Naveen Kumar Jindal have come under heavy criticism. Jindal was dismissed from the party's primary membership while Nupur Sharma was suspended. Although it is pertinent to note that Nupur Sharma said exactly what Islamic Leader Zakir Nair had said in one of his own videos. Watch Video
Over Sharma and Jindal's statements, India has received a significant backlash from a number of Western Asian countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, and Qatar. As a result of the dispute, several Islamic countries have called for a boycott of Indian products in their marketplaces as a form of protest. India, on the other hand, has issued statements explaining that the views stated about the Prophet are those of a few individuals and do not reflect the views of the Indian government. According to the foreign ministry's statement, India respects all religions,
The debate has attracted the attention of Al-Qaeda in the Subcontinent (AQIS), which has threatened to carry out suicide bombs in Mumbai, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat in order to "fight for the dignity" of the Prophet.
Despite the threat, Wilders has been unwavering in his support for Sharma. The Dutch lawmaker wrote on Twitter that one must never “give in to Islamic terrorists like Al-Qaida (since) they represent barbarism”.
The tweet added,
Wilders said he received many “death threats” from Muslims who want to kill him for “supporting Nupur Sharma” who “spoke the truth and nothing but the truth about Muhammad and Aisha”.
The post on the micro-blogging site further read,
“My message to them is: Go to hell. You have no morals. We stand for the truth. We stand for freedom."
Here are some highlights from Wilder's political career so far:
- Wilders, who was born in 1963, is the founder of the Party for Freedom, the Netherlands' third-largest political party. Since 1998, he has served as the party's leader in the House of Representatives.
- Many Islamist terrorist organisations have used him as a talking point because of his views on Islam. Since 2004, he has been under police protection.
- Wilders has called for a ban on Islam's sacred book Quran during his campaign for the 2017 prime ministerial elections, comparing it to Adolf Hitler's' 'Mein Kampf.' "I would rather not have the Quran at all," he said, according to Euro News. "At least in Holland, we've outlawed Mein Kampf as well."
- Wilders' account was suspended by Twitter in April of this year after he posted a tweet criticising Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The social media giant took the step, saying that the Dutch lawmaker had broken its rules against hateful conduct. By the end of the month, it had been restored, with Wilders instead "suggesting" that Twitter "look into the thousands of tweets from people in Pakistan and anywhere else threatening to kill" him because of his views on Islam.
