We are at war. Not with Islam as a religion—though it is that—but with Islam as a violent, expansionist ideology that seeks to subjugate the West.
Analysis
Wilders’ statement inaccurately generalizes Islam as inherently 'violent and expansionist,' ignoring the diversity within the religion and the fact that most Muslims reject extremism. While violent Islamist extremism (e.g., Al-Qaeda, ISIS) poses a real security threat, experts and data (e.g., Pew Research, Global Terrorism Index) show such groups represent a fringe minority, not the religion as a whole. His framing risks reinforcing Islamophobic narratives by equating a broad faith tradition with the actions of extremists. The claim also lacks nuance about geopolitical factors (e.g., Western interventions, colonial legacies) that fuel radicalization.
Background
Wilders, a far-right Dutch politician, has long advocated anti-Islam policies, including banning the Quran and mosques, framing Islam as an existential threat to Europe. His rhetoric aligns with a broader trend of far-right figures in the West conflating immigration, Islam, and terrorism post-9/11. Academic studies (e.g., from the *Journal of Conflict Resolution*) emphasize that extremism stems from socio-political grievances, not religious doctrine alone.
Verdict summary
Geert Wilders’ claim conflates Islam as a religion with violent extremism, oversimplifying a complex global issue by framing it as a monolithic 'war' against the West.
Sources consulted
— Pew Research Center. (2017). *Muslims and Islam: Key Findings in the U.S. and Around the World*. [https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/](https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/)
— Institute for Economics & Peace. (2023). *Global Terrorism Index 2023*. [http://visionofhumanity.org/reports](http://visionofhumanity.org/reports)
— Bunzel, Cole. (2015). *From Paper State to Caliphate: The Ideology of the Islamic State*. Brookings Institution. [https://www.brookings.edu/articles/from-paper-state-to-caliphate-the-ideology-of-the-islamic-state/](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/from-paper-state-to-caliphate-the-ideology-of-the-islamic-state/)
— Cesari, Jocelyne. (2014). *The Awakening of Muslim Democracy: Religion, Modernity, and the State*. Cambridge University Press.
— Wilders, Geert. (2010). *Op-ed in The Wall Street Journal: ‘The West Must Defend Itself’*. [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703410004575097331396879410](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703410004575097331396879410) (Paywall; archived via [Wayback Machine](https://web.archive.org))