• Sunday, November 24, 2024

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Dutch leader unfazed by death threats for backing BJP leader’s Prophet remarks: ‘Go to hell’

Dutch political leader Geert Wilders (Photo by Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images)

By: Shubham Ghosh

GEERT WILDERS, the politician from the Netherlands who backed Nupur Sharma, a now-suspended leader of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over her controversial remarks made on Prophet Muhammad on a television show last month, has received many death threats for doing the same. He said he received the threats from Muslims.

In a tweet, the 58-year-old leader of the Party for Freedom who slammed those countries that condemned Sharma and said she spoke the truth, tweeted, “I receive many death threats now from Muslims who want to kill me for supporting Nupur Sharma who spoke the truth and nothing but the truth about Muhammad and Aisha.”

ALSO READ: Anti-Prophet remarks: Dutch leader Geert Wilders backs Nupur Sharma, says she spoke truth

Wilders put up a brave face against the threats saying, “My message to them is: go to hell. You have no morals. We stand for the truth. We stand for freedom.”

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Wilders, who is known for harbouring far-right views on Islam and other issues, recently asked Indians to rally behind Sharma who was suspended as the controversy triggered into diplomatic rows. He also called her “heroic”.

“The whole Indian nation should rally around #nupursharma now and support her. Al Qaida and the Taliban put me on their hitlist years ago. One lesson: never bow for terrorists. Never!” Wilders also said in his tweet.

“It is ridiculous that Arab and Islamic countries are angered by Indian politician Nupur Sharma for speaking the truth about the Prophet who indeed married Aisha when she was six years old and consumed the marriage when she was nine,” Wilders had earlier said in a tweet supporting the BJP leader.

In another post, he said, “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.”

According to a report by The Times of India, Wilders had said that he has been living in protected environments ever since getting death threats after making a documentary on the Quran, almost two decades ago.

He has also been criticised for his views on the Quran and the Prophet. He has also sought a ban on the Quran in the Netherlands. The lawmaker has also spoken in favour of stopping Muslim migrants from entering Europe and the Netherlands.

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