PVV wants satirical article scrapped

The anti-Islam PVV party has called on satirical website De Speld to withdraw an article in which PVV MP Hero Brinkman appears to talk about the ‘dark side’ of popular 1970s singer Ramses Shaffy, who died late last year, website nu.nl reports on Wednesday.

In the article, Brinkmanis ‘comments’ on Shaffy’s Egyptian roots by calling him a ‘pathfinder for Islamisation’ and says that the chant ‘Allah is great’ can be heard in his music.
A PVV official has now written to the website saying the article is ‘very hurtful’ and calling for its removal. De Speld editor Melle van den Berg told news agency ANP he had no intention of doing so. ‘It is very obviously satirical,’ he said.
The PVV has made a great deal of political capital about its support for freedom of expression and artists whose work has been censored.