The Netherlands could ban the burqa, the full-body covering worn by some Muslim women, as soon as next year, Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders told Reuters in an interview Thursday.
Wilders' populist Freedom Party is the third largest in parliament and provides crucial support to the minority ruling coalition in exchange for the government taking a tougher line on Islam and immigration from non-Western countries.
His party has grown in popularity largely because of his outspoken criticism of Islam, which he describes as "a violent ideology."
"There are not too many people who are willing to fight for this cause. It's a big responsibility. It's not only a Dutch problem, it's a problem of the West," said Wilders. [Reuters] Read more
