Muslim organisations in The Netherlands have filed a complaint against Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders for inciting hatred, discrimination and violence against Muslims.
The move comes after Wilders posted an image on X last week depicting a blonde woman as “good” and a woman in a headscarf as “bad,” which critics say fuels anti-Muslim sentiment.
In a Facebook post, Muslim Rights Watch, one of 14 Muslim organisations pursuing legal action, stated that this imagery closely resembles Nazi Germany’s depictions of Jews as “inhuman, threatening, and unwanted.”
They said: “On August 4, 2025, Wilders shared an image via X that depicts Muslims as dangerous and unwanted. Two women can be seen in the picture: a blonde woman symbolising the so-called ‘good’ and a woman with the headscarf that is supposed to represent the ‘bad’. The aim: To feed and incite hatred and discrimination against Muslims.
“This image is suspiciously similar to the image used to depict Jews in Nazi-Germany as inhumane, threatening and unwanted. They used exaggerated negative characteristics and associated this with the idea that they were a danger to society. The same mechanism is now being used towards Muslims.
“Muslims are an inseparable part of The Netherlands. We live here, study here, work here and contribute to our society every day. We can and must not look away. That is why today, on August 11, 2025, a complaint was made against Wilders for group insult, inciting hatred, discrimination and violence and inciting hostility and social unrest. ‘Never Again’ is now.”
Prominent Islamophobe
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Geert Wilders is the leader of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), which he founded in 2006.
He has consistently expressed highly critical and hostile views toward Islam, which form a central pillar of his political platform.
Wilders does not consider Islam a religion but rather a “totalitarian ideology” comparable to ideologies like Nazism. He has argued that there is no distinction between moderate Islam and Islamism, stating, “Islam is Islam, and that’s it.”
He views Islam as inherently incompatible with Western democratic values, particularly freedom of expression, gender equality, and separation of church and state.
Wilders and his PVV party have advocated for extreme measures to “de-Islamise” The Netherlands, including:
- Banning the Quran.
- Prohibiting women from wearing hijabs in public and imposing a “head rag tax.”
- Closing mosques and Islamic schools.
- Halting immigration from Muslim-majority countries and promoting the remigration of Muslims.
Wilders has made numerous inflammatory statements, such as calling Islam “evil, violent, hateful, barbaric” and insulting the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
In 2008, he produced a short film called “Fitna,” which juxtaposed violent imagery with Quranic verses to argue that Islam inspires terrorism.
His views resonate with many Dutch voters concerned about immigration and cultural identity, as evidenced by the PVV’s electoral success in November 2023.
Supporters see him as courageous for addressing security concerns and challenging political correctness, especially in light of attacks in Europe.
Critics, including Islamic organisations, scholars, and political opponents, condemn his rhetoric as inflammatory, discriminatory and Islamophobic.
Wilders has faced multiple legal battles, including a 2016 conviction for discrimination over comments about Moroccans and a 2020 conviction for “group insult.”
