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Dutch anti-Islam politician Wilders to speak in Berlin

Arab World Materials 2 October 2010 16:17 (UTC +04:00)
Dutch politician Geert Wilders, known for his antagonism towards Islam, is to speak at an event in Berlin Saturday organised by a new right-wing party, reported dpa.
Dutch anti-Islam politician Wilders to speak in Berlin

Dutch politician Geert Wilders, known for his antagonism towards Islam, is to speak at an event in Berlin Saturday organised by a new right-wing party, reported dpa.

Die Freiheit (Freedom) party was founded in September by Rene Stadkewitz, another Islam-critic and a former member of Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU).

Wilders is coming to Berlin shortly after one of the high points of his political career, as a new right-wing minority government is in the process of formation in the Netherlands that is dependent on his Party For Freedom (PVV) to survive.

The Dutch Christian Democratic Appeal party was meeting Saturday to decide on whether to form a government with the liberal PVV with Wilders' support.

In Berlin early Saturday, police erected barricades around the Hotel Berlin where the event is due to take place, with left-wing groups - under the banner of "Send Geert Wilders Home" having announced a counter demonstration.

The event comes as fears grow in German mainstream political parties of the emergence of a new anti-immigration, anti-Islam right wing movement.

In September German Central Bank board member Thilo Sarrazin was forced to resign after he published a book saying that Muslims were to blame for dragging the country down, a view that found some sympathy among the general public.

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