Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders has withdrawn a 2018 proposal to ban mosques and the Quran
By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Far-right Dutch election winner Geert Wilders is withdrawing legislation he proposed in 2018 that calls for a ban on mosques and the Quran. The move announced Monday is a key concession to potential coalition partners a day before talks to form the next government are set to resume. The withdrawal could be critical in gaining trust and support of three more mainstream parties Wilders wants to co-opt into a coalition along with his Party for Freedom or PVV. One of those parties’ leaders has expressed fears that some of Wilders’ policies breach the Dutch Constitution that enshrines liberties including the freedom of religion.