Abstract
This article discusses the distinction, made by Dutch supporters of the
anti-Islamization discourse, between Islam and Muslims, allowing them to
say that they have a great deal against Islam, but nothing against Muslims.
The main objective of this contribution is to analyze the Islam/Muslims
distinction as it appears in this discourse and to describe its possible
consequences for the people it concerns: Muslims living in the Netherlands.
The article takes the writings of Dutch Partij Voor de Vrijheid (PVV;
‘Party for Freedom’) leader Geert Wilders and party ideologue Martin
Bosma as cases in point and presents an analysis of their contents focusing
on the Islam/Muslim distinction as an essential element in this antiIslamization
discourse. The article discusses the definition of the antiIslamization
discourse and links it to the term Islamization and the related
term Islamophobia, and their manifestation in the discourse of Geert
Wilders and his Party for Freedom. The article shows that this party aims
at “luring” Muslims into renouncing Islam and thus creating a Netherlands
without Islam, which is in fact a Netherlands without Muslims
anti-Islamization discourse, between Islam and Muslims, allowing them to
say that they have a great deal against Islam, but nothing against Muslims.
The main objective of this contribution is to analyze the Islam/Muslims
distinction as it appears in this discourse and to describe its possible
consequences for the people it concerns: Muslims living in the Netherlands.
The article takes the writings of Dutch Partij Voor de Vrijheid (PVV;
‘Party for Freedom’) leader Geert Wilders and party ideologue Martin
Bosma as cases in point and presents an analysis of their contents focusing
on the Islam/Muslim distinction as an essential element in this antiIslamization
discourse. The article discusses the definition of the antiIslamization
discourse and links it to the term Islamization and the related
term Islamophobia, and their manifestation in the discourse of Geert
Wilders and his Party for Freedom. The article shows that this party aims
at “luring” Muslims into renouncing Islam and thus creating a Netherlands
without Islam, which is in fact a Netherlands without Muslims
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 33.2/34.1 |
| Pages (from-to) | 35-58 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | Canadian Journal of Netherlandic Studies/Revue canadienne d’études néerlandaises |
| Volume | 33.2-34.1 |
| Early online date | 1 Mar 2014 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2014 |
Keywords
- Islam in Europe; Populist Parties in Europe; Islamophobia