Fourteen Muslim organisations in the Netherlands have filed a joint criminal complaint against far-right politician Geert Wilders, accusing him of inciting hatred, discrimination, and violence against Muslims.

The legal action, filed on August 11, 2025, follows a controversial post Wilders shared on the social media platform X on August 4. 

The image showed the left half of a young blonde woman labelled as “good” and the right half of an angry, elderly woman wearing a headscarf labelled as “bad.” 

Muslim Rights Watch, one of the signatory groups, said the imagery portrays Muslims as “dangerous and unwanted” and closely resembles Nazi-era propaganda that depicted Jews as “inhuman, threatening, and unwanted.”

“This image is suspiciously similar to those used in Nazi Germany to dehumanise Jews,” Muslim Rights Watch said in a Facebook statement. 

Wilders – leader of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) – is notorious for his anti-Islam rhetoric, and has made the fight against Islam a central pillar of his political platform.

Over the years, Wilders has made the headlines repeatedly for his overtly anti-Muslim statements and actions, emerging as one of the most controversial politicians in Europe.

Here are some of his controversial actions:

A rabble-rousing Islamophobe   

Wilders has repeatedly used inflammatory language to describe Islam and its followers. In 2010, during a parliamentary debate, he famously said, “I hate Islam,” a statement that shocked many and drew widespread criticism.

He has described Islam as a “totalitarian ideology” comparable to Nazism, arguing that there is no distinction between moderate Islam and Islamism. 

“Islam is Islam, and that’s it,” he has said. He has called Islam “evil, violent, hateful, barbaric” and insulted the Prophet.

Propaganda film

One of Wilders’ most controversial actions was the production of the short film titled Fitna in 2008, which combined Quranic verses with graphic images of terrorist attacks, aiming to depict Islam as inherently violent and dangerous. 

The film sparked widespread condemnation from governments, religious groups, and human rights organisations worldwide, and led to multiple legal investigations accusing Wilders of inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims.

Attack on the Quran

He had earlier called for a ban on the Quran, describing it as a “fascist book.” 

Among the extreme measures Wilders and his PVV have proposed are banning the Quran, imposing a “head rag tax” on women wearing hijabs in public, and closing mosques and Islamic schools. 

He claims that these symbols of Islam and Muslim identity promote radicalisation, halting immigration from Muslim-majority countries, and promoting the remigration of Muslims. 

All of these were widely condemned by civil rights groups, religious organisations, and many politicians as discriminatory and unconstitutional. 

Discrimination trial

In 2016, Wilders faced a high-profile trial in the Netherlands for inciting discrimination and insulting a minority group after he publicly asked his followers whether they wanted “fewer or more Moroccans” in the country.

Although he was ultimately acquitted, the case drew significant attention and underscored the deeply divisive and provocative nature of his rhetoric, sparking heated debates about freedom of speech and hate speech limits in Dutch society.

What now?

In the 2023 Dutch general elections, Wilders’ PVV secured the most seats in the parliament. However, his controversial policies led to difficulties in forming a coalition government. To gain support from potential coalition partners, Wilders withdrew these proposals in 2024.

In September 2024, Wilders withdrew his party’s ministers from the ruling coalition over disagreements regarding migration policies. This move led to the collapse of the 11-month-old administration, leading to a caretaker government.

For critics, Wilders’ latest social media post is part of a long-standing campaign to vilify Muslims and undermine their place in Dutch society.

The complaint marks the latest chapter in the legal and political battles for Wilders and could have significant implications for freedom of expression, hate speech laws, and the rights of religious minorities in the Netherlands.