Dutch politician doubts Muslim ministers' loyalty

Reuters.com

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The leader of a Dutch anti-immigration party will call for a vote of no-confidence in two Muslim government ministers next week, citing their dual nationality as the issue, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

Geert Wilders said in an interview with the Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad the appointment of Moroccan-born Ahmed Aboutaleb and Turkish-born Nebahat Albayrak as junior ministers was wrong because both could have loyalties toward countries other than the Netherlands.

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In Saturday's interview, Wilders said: "I do not want to live in a country where some day six or seven members of cabinet could be Muslim," adding that Islamic laws were "barbaric", referring to four people who were beheaded in Saudi-Arabia this week.

"I want to encourage Muslims to leave the Netherlands voluntarily. The demographic development should become such, that the chance is small that we again have two Muslims in the cabinet." About 1 million Muslims live in the Netherlands out of a population of 16 million.

Last week Wilders called on Muslims to ditch half the teachings in the Koran and said he would chase Islam's Prophet Mohammad out of the country if he were alive today.

I can help but chuckle at the last sentence. I admire Mr. Wilders for his courage. There is no doubt fatwas will be issued.