Ramesh #NotGoingBackNov 23, 2023

Portends fragmentation of #NATO, #EU. Bodes ill for #Muslims all over

#FarRight #PVV party led by racist, anti-#Islam populist Geert #Wilders won election in #Netherlands.

PVV wants Netherlands to leave #EU, de-Islamize, pushback on #migrants, total halt to accepting #asylum-seekers.

Echoing #AmericaFirst & #Trump, Wilders said “The people must get their nation back.”

#European Far Right has also triumphed in #Germany, #Hungary, #Italy, #Poland, #Slovakia, and #Spain

https://apnews.com/article/netherlands-election-candidates-prime-minister-wilders-9ed5752f49315517876f1646d4c2d4f2

Geert Wilders: Far-right populist shocks with big Dutch election win

The party of an anti-Islam, anti-migration politician is heading for a massive parliamentary election victory in the Netherlands. The result puts far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders in line to lead talks to form a new governing coalition and possibly become prime minister. It’s one of the biggest political upsets in Dutch politics since World War II and one that is bound to send shock waves through Europe. With nearly all votes counted Thursday morning, Wilders’ Party for Freedom is forecast to win 37 seats in the 150-seat lower house of parliament. That’s more than double what the party won in the last election.

AP News
Show threadnotwithstandingNov 23, 2023

@rameshgupta I don’t really know what to make of this.

Obviously the humanist take is we should support immigrants, not be racist bigots, make borders less and less meaningful (EU) and so on. Which is what I want.

On the other hand, it is understandable that a people doesn’t want their culture to be diluted, their country Islamicized, their institutions and achievements slowly eroded. They don’t want to harbor “from the river to the sea” marches.

How to find balance, without falling right?

Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackNov 23, 2023

@notwithstanding

1. Support immigrants — you might be one someday

2. Not be racist bigots — you might be in a different place someday

3. Make borders less meaningful — you might NEED to cross one someday

4. Culture gets enriched, not diluted, when more variety is introduced

5. #Wilders' attempt to #deIslamicize #Netherlands will only bring grief to the state & to #EU

6. It's the #FarRight that's eroding institutions & achievements

7. #FromTheRiverToTheSea is call for #destructionOfIsrael

Show threadnotwithstandingNov 23, 2023

@rameshgupta 1, 2, 3 of course yes! Absolutely.
Thank you for n. 4. Sometimes we (I) forget that and it needs to be reinforced.

6. You are correct of course. One could argue, out of *fear*, that islamicization is also a risk for institutions. Look at Denmark, there have been proposals of curbing free speech to appease Muslims.

7. I know!

5. I am not familiar enough with him
But:
My question - honestly asking here - is how to prevent n. 7 (for example), and not go to the right?

Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBack

@notwithstanding

5. On #Wilders, there's plenty of new press coverage to uncover his frame of mind.

You could also try this ➡️ https://mastodon.social/@rameshgupta/111459936289818570

6. #deIslamicization & #appeasement are opposite extremes—both bad. #US doesn't do either yet, but #Trump might do former

7. Both government as well as private organizations and individuals do their part to discourage #FromTheRiverToTheSea in US ➡️ https://mastodon.social/@rameshgupta/111459734729008576

We can't really "prevent" it (nor should we) because of #FreedomOfSpeech

Nov 23, 2023 at 2:12pmWeb
Show threadnotwithstandingNov 23, 2023

@rameshgupta
6. I see I am using the word “desIslamicization” wrong.
What I am trying to say is democratic institutions have to be free of any religious influence.

7. I am not a 100% free speech person. I do believe some speech must be curbed and prevented, like in Germany they do with Nazi speech and even symbols.
One may argue that “from the river to the sea” is not as bad, I think the debate in that is still open, even if I have an opinion.

Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackJan 8, 2024

⬆️ @notwithstanding

>> 5. #Wilders' attempt to #deIslamicize #Netherlands will only bring grief to the state & to #EU

#Dutch anti-#Islam lawmaker Geert #Wilders heeded my toot 😀

Nah, it was Pieter #Omtzigt, a leader of #NewSocialContract, partner in #PartyForFreedom (#PVV), who expressed fears that Wilders policies may breach Dutch Constitution that enshrines liberties, including #FreedomOfReligion

As a result, Wilders withdrew a 2018 proposal to ban #mosques & #Quran

https://apnews.com/article/netherlands-geert-wilders-islam-election-coalition-74b7588698cef00850c47245771c65cf

Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders has withdrawn a 2018 proposal to ban mosques and the Quran

Far-right Dutch election winner Geert Wilders is withdrawing legislation he proposed in 2018 that calls for a ban on mosques and the Quran. The move announced Monday is a key concession to potential coalition partners a day before talks to form the next government are set to resume. The withdrawal could be critical in gaining trust and support of three more mainstream parties Wilders wants to co-opt into a coalition along with his Party for Freedom or PVV. One of those parties’ leaders has expressed fears that some of Wilders’ policies breach the Dutch Constitution that enshrines liberties including the freedom of religion.

AP News