Muslims in shock over anti-Islam party’s Dutch poll win

THE HAGUE, Nov 24 (Reuters): Dutch Muslims expressed shock on Thursday at the election win of far-right populist Geert Wilders, who has previously called for mosques and the Koran to be banned in the Netherlands.

Wilders and his Freedom Party (PVV) beat all predictions on Wednesday night by winning 37 seats out of 150 in the Dutch parliament, well ahead of a Labour/Green combination and the outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte's conservatives.

"These election results are shocking for Dutch Muslims. We did not expect such a party with a programme that is against the basic principles of the rule of law to be so big," said Muhsin Koktas of Muslim organisation CMO.

Muslims make up around 5 per cent of he Dutch population of almost 18 million people.