JEDDAH, 19 February 2007 — Saudi Arabia has asked the Dutch government to intervene over remarks by an anti-immigration politician who said Muslims should “tear out half the Qur’an” and wants him to apologize, Al-Watan newspaper reported yesterday.
“The Saudi Embassy in The Hague has begun moves with the Dutch Foreign Ministry against the remarks of rightwing parliamentarian Geert Wilders,” the paper said. “It appealed to the appropriate authorities on the need for Wilders insulting statements to be withdrawn and an apology be given to Muslims ... The embassy has demanded that the Dutch side put an end to such statement.”
Saudi Ambassador to The Hague Walid Abdul Kareem Al-Khereiji said the embassy was making its efforts without media publicity. “Our only aim is to stop the smear campaign against Islam,” he added.
Wilders said in an interview with the daily De Pers on Feb. 13 that Muslims should throw away half their holy book if they wanted to stay in the Netherlands and that he would chase the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) out of the country if he were alive today.
“Our minister is not happy with Wilders’ remarks,” a Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesman said. “It is not the point of view of the Dutch government,” he added.
Last year Saudi Arabia withdrew its ambassador to Copenhagen over Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet, which provoked worldwide protests among Muslims.
Wilders has warned of a “tsunami of Islamization” in a country that is home to 1 million Muslims out of a population of some 16 million. He has campaigned to ban the veil, wants to freeze immigration and ban new mosques and religious schools.
The Dutch news agency ANP quoted Wilders as saying yesterday he would not retract his remarks. “I would not dream of taking any of it back,” Wilders said.
— With input from agencies
