Quick Hit:

Prosecutors in the Netherlands are seeking a 14-year prison sentence against Pakistani cleric Muhammed Ashraf Jalali and a six-year term for Saad Hussain Rizvi for allegedly issuing death threats against populist Dutch leader Geert Wilders. Wilders, who has faced death threats for years, called the trial a historic stand against radical Islam.

Key Details:

• The Dutch Public Prosecution Service is seeking prison terms for two Pakistani nationals for allegedly calling for the death of Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV).
• Wilders has hailed the case as a historic first, with imams facing trial over fatwa death threats.
• The trial continues in the absence of both suspects, who reside in Pakistan.

Diving Deeper:

The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has called for a 14-year prison sentence against Pakistani Islamist cleric Muhammed Ashraf Jalali and a six-year term for 29-year-old Saad Hussain Rizvi for allegedly issuing fatwa death threats against Dutch populist leader Geert Wilders. The trial is proceeding without the presence of either suspect, who are believed to be in Pakistan.

The prosecution alleges that Jalali, an influential cleric, called on his followers to either behead or hang Wilders, while Rizvi, leader of the Islamist extremist Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) party, is accused of making threats against the PVV leader. The case marks the first time that imams have been put on trial in the Netherlands for issuing fatwa death threats.

Wilders, a long-time critic of Islam and its growing influence in Europe, has been living under 24-hour security since 2004 due to numerous threats against his life. In an exclusive statement to Breitbart London ahead of the trial, Wilders emphasized his commitment to free speech, describing it as the "bedrock of a free society and a functioning democracy." He expressed his belief that the trial represents a significant milestone in the fight against radical Islam, despite the lack of an extradition treaty with Pakistan that would prevent the suspects from facing prison unless they travel internationally.

Wilders, whose Party for Freedom secured a historic victory in the last election and is now a key force in the new Dutch government, urged other Western nations to take a similarly tough stance against Islamic extremism. He criticized Pakistan's lenient approach towards extremist clerics and groups, warning that it poses a threat not only to the country's own moderate Muslims and non-Muslim minorities but also to Western nations.

“Pakistan’s permissive approach towards Islamic terrorist clerics, groups, and parties endangers not only the country’s own moderate Muslims and its non-Muslim minority but encourages extremist Pakistanis to impose their violent ideology in Western countries,” Wilders wrote.

The trial against Jalali and Rizvi is expected to conclude next week. While it is the first case involving an imam facing criminal charges for issuing a fatwa, it is not the first instance of Pakistani nationals being tried in the Netherlands for threatening Wilders' life. In recent years, other Pakistani nationals have been sentenced by Dutch courts, including a 10-year sentence for Junaid Iqbal in 2021 and a 12-year sentence for former Pakistani cricket captain Khalid Latif in 2022, both tried in abstention due to their residence in Pakistan.

"Geert geeft mensen een hand Spijkenisse" by Peter van der Sluijs licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED.