Saudi envoy insists Dutch politician retract anti-Islam remarks

dpa German Press Agency Published: Sunday February 18, 2007

Riyadh- Saudi ambassador Waleed al-Khareejy demanded Sunday
that a Dutch right-wing politician apologize and retract remarks made
last week and deemed insulting to Islam and its holy book.
A leader of the conservative Dutch Freedom Party, Geert Wilders,
had told the press that half of the Koran should be torn and thrown
away.

He also lashed out at the Prophet Mohammed, founder of Islam,
describing Islam as a "violent" religion.

Al-Khareejy said an apology was "necessary" and that Wilders had
to withdraw his statements.

However, the ambassador seemed reluctant to attract media, saying
that the embassy would rather follow up the issue "away from the
press."

The main aim was to stop such insults to Islam, al-Khareejy told
the Saudi-based al-Watan newspaper.

© 2006 - dpa German Press Agency