Once our needs are satisfied, then our wants tents to escalate, indeed our wants become our needs.

-Michael Parenti: Reflections on the overthrow of communism

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Joined 1 year ago
Cake day: June 12th, 2023
  • Bart@lemmygrad.mltoCapitalism in Decay@lemmygrad.ml•A reminder that neofascism is alive and well in the U.S.English
    3·
    9 months ago

    Unfortunately it’s a development that can be seen al around the world.

    Here in The Netherlands the (mostly likely) future prime minister Geert Wilders recalled some motion’s that would make Islam illigal (as in going to a mosque/Islamic school and owning a Koran).

    The news outlet said that the needed majority isn’t there, but that is just a matter of time.

    And there are still some motion’s that he didn’t recall, one of which would make it illigal to wear a headscarf.

    So many people don’t realise how close so many are to fascism. If he could get a majority than he most probably would enact such law.

    The relevant news article: https://nos.nl/artikel/2504149-pvv-trekt-drie-anti-islamwetsvoorstellen-in

    Translation to English

    PVV withdraws three anti-Islam legislative proposals

    PVV leader Wilders is withdrawing three private member’s bills, including a plan to ban Islamic expressions. He wrote this without further explanation to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. These are legislative proposals that the PVV had previously submitted in the House of Representatives, such as punishing the possession of a Quran or the attendance of an Islamic school. The plans received significant criticism, and there was never a majority in the House for them.

    During the parliamentary debate on the election results, the PVV leader had already stated that he would moderate his tone. By withdrawing these legislative proposals, he is sending a signal to the other parties discussing the formation of a new government. The discussions between BBB, NSC, PVV, and VVD will continue tomorrow morning at Landgoed Zwaluwenberg in Hilversum.

    Prison sentences for mosque visits

    The first proposal that the PVV is withdrawing concerns a ban on Islamic expressions, including a ban on mosques and the Quran. According to the proposal, people who possess a Quran or attend an Islamic school could face up to five years in prison. Visiting a mosque could result in a few months of imprisonment.

    The Council of State commented on this legislative proposal, stating that it “aims to portray Islam not as a religion but as a violent totalitarian ideology” and deemed it inconsistent with “fundamental principles of the democratic constitutional state.”

    The second withdrawn proposal relates to a ban on multiple nationalities for officeholders and the removal of voting rights for people with dual citizenship. The explanation for this proposal indicates that it would affect 1.3 million people who hold not only Dutch nationality but also Turkish or Moroccan nationality. The PVV is concerned about influence from those countries.

    The PVV is also withdrawing a proposal for ‘administrative detention,’ which would mean that suspected jihadists could be detained for up to six months without involving a judge and before their conviction. The Council of State ruled that this plan “exceeds the limits of acceptability in a constitutional state.”

    Political reporter Marleen de Rooy:

    "These far-reaching private member’s bills from Wilders and his party would likely never have gained a majority. They have been on the shelf for years, yet the PVV can send a signal by withdrawing them. As long as these proposals are still somewhere on a shelf, they continue to hover over the political landscape. Wilders is now removing that pressure. Remarkably, as Wilders has always stated that he would never retract anything he said before.

    This aligns with the promise Wilders made earlier, according to BBB. The party considers it a positive step forward. However, this is just a first step. Moreover, these legislative proposals once again reveal how far the PVV would like to go in combating Islam.

    In particular, NSC, the party of Pieter Omtzigt, keeps emphasizing the importance of not infringing on people’s rights. According to the Council of State, these proposals do just that. This demonstrates how far apart these parties are on this issue. A step towards coming closer together has been taken, but there is still a long way to go."

    Wilders is not withdrawing all controversial private member’s bills from recent years. There are still proposals from PVV members to prioritize Dutch nationals in the allocation of housing and to introduce minimum sentences for serious offenses.

    Currently, judges have the freedom to impose a lower sentence if they believe the circumstances justify it. If the PVV’s proposals for minimum sentences are implemented, it would restrict this freedom for judges.

    There are also proposals for a burqa ban and the removal of the prohibition on group insult. Wilders was convicted of this offense after his remarks about “fewer Moroccans.”