Dutch Freedom Party wants minaret ban in Netherlands

Amsterdam - The rightist Freedom Party PVV said Monday it would ask the Dutch government to hold a referendum on banning the construction of minarets, following a similar vote in Switzerland. On Sunday, a large majority of Swiss voters cast ballots in favor of banning construction of the slender towers attached to mosques, despite opposition to such a move by the government.

"We will call upon the government to make a similar referendum possible in the Netherlands," PVV leader Geert Wilders told Dutch daily Volkskrant.

Congratulating Switzerland on what he called the "great result of the minaret referendum," Wilders said: "If the government is unwilling to hold a referendum, the PVV will present its own bill to parliament. What is possible in Switzerland should also be possible here."

The PVV, known for its criticism on Islam and migrants, currently holds nine seats in the 150-member legislature.

Opinion polls show that if elections were held today, the party would win 27 seats, making it the second largest after the Christian Democrats on 35 seats.