Dutch leader and Member of Parliament in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders, on Monday (April 8) posted on X that he spoke to Nupur Sharma and called her a “symbol of freedom not only for India but for the whole world”. The controversial Dutch leader, known for his controversial views on Islam, also said that Nupur Sharma’s “loss of personal freedom and legal troubles in last two years as most unfair” and termed her as a “brave lady”.
Nupur Sharma was suspended by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for her comments on Prophet Mohammad after her remark during a news channel debate came under fire two years ago.
It is pertinent to recall that Nupur Sharma had criticized Islamist Taslim Ahmed Rehmani for repeatedly using derogatory language against Sanatan Dharma and referred to Shivling as a fountain during a debate on the disputed structure at Gyanvapi in Kashi in May 2022. She questioned what he would feel if she cited passages from Islamic texts.
Talking of Geert Wilders, he has himself been a controversial figure for his stand on Islam and his open opposition to the religion. The Dutch MP had praised Nupur Sharma in a post on X earlier.
Wilders in February 2024 took to X and wrote, “I sent a personal message of support to the brave Nupur Sharma, who has been threatened by Islamists for years now only for speaking the truth. Freedom-loving people all over the world should support her. I hope to meet her one day while visiting India
Mohammed Zubair, a co-founder of Alt News, cleverly removed Taslim Rehmani’s inflammatory comments and uploaded the out-of-context footage on social media to claim that she insulted the Islamic Prophet Muhammed. The severe allegations led to massive protests and riots across the nation as well as many FIRs were filed against her. The Indian government came under fire from Islamic countries which issued strong statements condemning Nupur Sharma after which she was suspended from the party.
Murderous slogans like “Gustakh-e-Rasool ki ek hi saza, sar tan se Juda, sar tan se Juda (There is only one punishment for being disrespectful to Rasool (Prophet Muhammad), their head separated from their torso, their head separated from the torso,” were raised in the streets by rabid mobs as extremists attacked and killed Hindus including Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan and Umesh Kolhe in Maharashtra for supporting her.
