Analyse
Video and news transcripts confirm that Geert Wilders said, “Islam is not a religion, it’s a totalitarian political ideology with religious elements,” at a Pegida rally in Dresden in 2016. However, the characterization of Islam as a totalitarian ideology is inaccurate; scholars universally classify Islam as a world religion with diverse theological, cultural, and political expressions, and it does not inherently prescribe totalitarian governance. Therefore, the factual component of the statement is misleading, even though the quotation is correctly attributed.
Achtergrond
Geert Wilders, a Dutch right‑wing politician, frequently criticizes Islam and has described it as a political ideology in several speeches. The Pegida rally in Dresden in January 2016 featured several anti‑immigration speakers, including Wilders. Academic and religious studies define Islam as a major world religion, distinct from any single political system.
Samenvatting verdict
Wilders did make the quoted remarks, but the claim that Islam is a totalitarian political ideology rather than a religion is not supported by scholarly consensus.