“Freedom Is Worth It”

Last Thursday Geert Wilders was interviewed by the state broadcasting service in the Netherlands. He discussed the Islamization of Europe, and in particular the “Moroccan problem” in the Netherlands. He also spoke out against the European juggernaut, decrying the surrender of Dutch sovereignty to Brussels.

Many thanks to SimonXML for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:

Transcript (with the original time stamps):

29:44		NOS: Something that is also pending, which is one of the two core points
29:48		of the PVV that started with the declaration of independence
29:52		when the PVV was founded: one was
29:56		the government culture and the other was the fight against Islam.
30:00		You have announced Fitna 2, what's the status of that?
30:04		GW: Yes. it will certainly appear but I am not
30:08		working on it at the moment. It's not my number 1 priority at the moment.
30:12		I have just published a book in America,
30:16		earlier this year about Islam, the book
30:20		will be published at the beginning of January, or the end of January I think, in Germany
30:24		I am going to address the theme of Islam
30:28		next year too in addition to everything concerned with Europe,
30:32		and with the economic situation
30:36		and put Islam more on the agenda again. People will
30:40		more than in recent years
30:44		see us, and myself personally, oppose
30:48		the Islamisation of the Netherlands - still the greatest threat
30:52		facing our country, whether it concerns immigration
30:56		or Islamic schools or mosques
31:00		or the 'Moroccan problem' we have,
31:04		culturally and religiously, but also socially
31:08		oriented. We are going to pay attention to these. There are actually three important topics
31:13		for next year for the PVV. One is of course everything concerned with the economy
31:17		easing the burden on people, boosting the economy
31:21		and opposing the package from the two socialist parties
31:25		who want to increase taxes instead of reducing them and not touch development aid
31:29		the European Union and so on. That's one. The second is Europe
31:33		ensuring that we continue to be an independent country. That, as the Netherlands, we ensure
31:37		we don't become subordinate to Europe. We have to submit our budget
31:41		to Brussels. We did that for the first time last year. A lot of people don't know that
31:45		and we are now going to sign contracts with Brussels so that we hardly need any more
31:49		elections in the Netherlands, so much is going to Brussels. We are also going to try
31:53		to prevent that and develop alternatives. Organise congresses
31:57		here in the Dutch parliament too. The third point is the Islamic
32:01		step things up a notch, both here in the Netherlands
32:05		but also internationally, from Australia to America, to
32:09		Switzerland, to everywhere, but also here in the Netherlands to ensure
32:13		that the greatest sickness that our country has had during the last century - which is called Islam
32:17		that we finally tackle it, drive it back,
32:21		stop relativising it by calling it a religion.
32:25		This message, these three things, they are my challenge
32:29		for the next year. I once
32:33		founded Islam ... sorry, Islam... I founded the PVV
32:37		to combat Islam. We chose the name Party for Freedom, we talked about it earlier in this interview,
32:41		is concerned with my absolute conviction
32:45		that Islam and freedom are diametrically opposed to one another
32:49		the more Islam you have, the less freedom everyone in a country has. You can see that
32:53		in the countries where Islam is dominant. The Arabic Spring
32:57		doesn't exist ... It will never exist in the Netherlands either, it is always a stark, angry
33:01		dark winter. And we must not have that in the Netherlands.
33:06		I am going to make proposals, offer ideas
33:10		that are needed in the Netherlands. NOS: In the Dutch parliament, this plea
33:14		your fight against Islam, has no support.
33:18		Except perhaps the SGP, which also has major reservations
33:22		about Islam. But none of the other parties say,
33:26		yes, we agree with that. GW: But that doesn't matter. It's the same with Europe. Look,
33:30		even the socialist party, Mr Roemer, has said that
33:34		he doesn't exclude a political union in the future; that he
33:38		thinks such a thing can be considered. Our position on Europe
33:42		Not one party says we should stop giving money to Greece
33:45		we mustn't transfer competencies to
33:48		... stop Brussels. The same
33:51		applies for Islam, perhaps with the exception of the SGP,
33:54		that doesn't mean we should stay silent.
33:57		I am convinced that very many people in the Netherlands
34:01		are fed up with the fact that we have been paying billions to Greece and Brussels
34:05		while here in the Netherlands
34:09		people are still burdened with tax and VAT increases and so on
34:13		NOS: Getting back to Islam, that is one the key issues you are going to step up ... GW: Yes,
34:18		NOS: I am going to focus on, you say, but it has no support
34:22		GW: Look, you are more "Haags" than I am
34:26		You appear to live in a Hague bubble
34:30		... support in parliament ... what do I care about parliament?
34:34		what's important is support in the Netherlands. I am here for the electorate. Of course, it's nice
34:38		if a proposal gets majority support in parliament.
34:42		But we aren't going to change our position on Europe, Islam, or taxation
34:46		in such a way that,
34:50		dilute it so that it becomes a weak compromise
34:54		with a majority. I would rather set our sights higher and take a standpoint for our voters
34:58		and try and change the Netherlands, create the conditions for that
35:02		than avoid the issues, reach compromises and then
35:06		take a step back, as page 18 of the Agrarisch Dagblad said,
35:10		that doesn't help the Netherlands. We have to stand by our principles
35:14		those of the PVV; change the Netherlands how we want it and not
35:18		come along with weak compromises. NOS: But do your supporters see the fight against Islam
35:22		I get the impression that they do see the problems with Islam
35:26		where they live, but you justify it much more on an ideological level, namely
35:30		the war between the West and Islam. GW: They are related.
35:34		You can look at the fight at a macro level. You can say
35:38		it is an ideology comparable to fascism ...
35:42		that's true ... we have to fight on that
35:46		basis. That's why I wrote a book, travel, give speeches,
35:50		make films; that's a very important goal, but you can also see the fight
35:54		- and that is just as important - that people also fight at the micro level.
35:58		I said it last week too, it's a Moroccan problem, it's not a problem
36:02		with New Zealanders or Canadians. We have a Moroccan problem.
36:07		In their nature, or in their culture, I should say,
36:11		everything that doesn't belong to their group
36:15		can be attacked. That is the vision, and that's what I call it,
36:19		Moroccan racism. Moroccans rarely
36:23		steal from each other,
36:27		beat each other up,
36:31		that doesn't happen. But the tram driver
36:35		who is spat on, the woman in the street who is whistled at
36:39		and beaten up or assaulted. The people who are robbed in a shopping centre
36:43		they notice, and those are the hard statistics,
36:47		that the cause is often - and I don't say always, it isn't all Moroccans -
36:51		Moroccan people. I told you earlier, 60% of Moroccan
36:55		youth are known to the police.
37:00		Those are unheard of statistics and of course they are culture-related,
37:04		of course they are related to upbringing, and of course they are related to the Islamic
37:08		culture. You must conduct that debate, and we do that.
37:12		at micro level; but we also do it at macro level.
37:16		NOS: You call it Moroccan racism, but is it
37:20		Islamic racism? Can we compare the Moroccans with Turkish racism?
37:24		Islam is racist. I mean,
37:28		Islam reads in the Quran that everything that isn't Islamic
37:32		is inferior
37:36		must pay tax, must be subservient as a dhimmi
37:40		must be subjugated, or must be killed; in essence,
37:44		Islam is a racist, totalitarian ideology.
37:48		NOS: Do you think that Moroccans, Turks, Islamists in the Netherlands also feel that way?
37:52		GW: I can't speak on behalf of all those people,
37:56		I'm certainly not going to say that they are all like that,
38:00		that would not be right, and I don't think it's so. But I do
38:04		think that a culture, an ideology - a religion as some people call it -
38:08		must honestly be called what it is.
38:12		and that what is happening on the streets in the Netherlands is not a coincidence,
38:16		that it doesn't happen with Canadians, but it does happen with Moroccans
38:20		and you must deal strictly with that, with serious punishment, taking away their passports
38:24		and deporting them, but you must also make the right analysis and that is concerned
38:28		with a racist ideology, a racist religion called
38:32		Islam. It's not the people; it's the ideology,
38:36		and you have to dare to say that or you will never solve the problems
38:40		NOS: Is that your mission in life? GW: Absolutely.
38:44		NOS: How long will you keep doing it? GW: Until I die. NOS: As a member of parliament too?
38:48		GW: As a member of parliament too, yes,
38:52		though maybe not when I'm 93 if I ever get that old. This is extremely important.
38:56		But to reiterate, I'm not driven by hate of people or anything,
39:00		I don't hate anyone, but because I know that freedom
39:04		is worth it, and I know that lots of people.
39:08		I've visited nearly all of the Islamic countries, they are very
39:12		friendly, hospitable people
39:16		who all have one thing in common, they live under the yoke of Islamic ideology
39:20		are oppressed, punished
39:25		are limited in every way possible, and you see that
39:29		what is happening there is also happening in the West and you have to stop it
39:33		if we want to ensure that your children, my children, our grandchildren
39:37		will be able to live in a free country. We mustn't fight a war against
39:41		people, but we must dare to call a racist ideology -which is what Islam is -
39:45		what it is, and not be held back by threats
39:49		court cases, or politicians of whatever party
39:53		that just encourages me to continue.
39:57		2013 will be the year we oppose
40:01		the cabinet, give the Netherlands back to the people, fight for Europe
40:05		and fight the racism of Islam even more.