By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (Worthy News) – The controversial Australian Islamic preacher Mohamed Hoblos, who was supposed to preach in the Netherlands on Saturday, has been banned from entering the country, the Dutch government says.
Outgoing Minister of Justice Yesilgöz said he won’t be allowed into the Netherlands amid concerns about hate speech.
Hoblos said that the October 7 massacre in Israel, which killed some 1,200 people, including raped women and children, was “a boost.”
He added that anyone who condemned Hamas for carrying out the atrocity is “a traitor.”
The preacher also argued that skipping a Muslim prayer is worse than sexually assaulting a child.
After performances in the German cities of Berlin, Hamburg, and the Norwegian capital Oslo, he wanted to explain his views at the sold-out Jaarbeurs conference center in the Dutch city of Utrecht, the next stop in his European tour.
DUTCH AUTHORITIES INTERVENE
However, on the eve of the preacher’s arrival here, Dutch authorities intervened after neighboring Germany also told him he was no longer welcome, officials said.
A Yesilgöz spokesperson defended the decision to cancel his permission to preach in the Netherlands, where 5 percent of the 17.5 million population identifies as Muslim.
“There is no place in the Netherlands for people who propagate extremist ideas,” the spokesperson said.
It comes amid mounting concerns in the Netherlands about anti-Israel protests and antisemitism as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.
The protests involve many Muslim migrants and are believed to have added to the reasons why the anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) became the biggest political force in recent elections.
Yet without a majority in Parliament, the PVV still struggles to form a coalition government.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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