Wilders plans new film about 'Islamisation' of West

The far-right Dutch MP Geert Wilders is planning a follow-up of his provocative anti-Koran film, Fitna. The outspoken, peroxide-blond leader of the opposition Freedom Party, who has labelled the Koran "fascist", says the new film will deal with the growing Islamisation of Western countries.

"Our doors are wide open to mass immigration from Muslim countries and I want to show the consequences of this," Mr Wilders told the newspaper De Telegraaf. The film would tackle freedom of speech and Sharia. "And I will offer solutions," he said.

Fitna, a 17-minute video that juxtaposes the turning pages of the Koran with images of terrorist attacks, was released on the internet last year after months of speculation over its content.

Fearing attacks on his country, the Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, had even called for it to be censored though the public response was in the end milder than expected.

Dutch Muslim organisations condemned the film but it did not spark violence, despite a final scene showing a hand tearing up a page of the Koran (Mr Wilders later said the sound for the scene had been taken from the tearing up of a telephone directory).

However, the National Counter-Terrorism Coordination Services said yesterday that they had "taken note" of the new announcement and would monitor the security situation.

Never one to duck the limelight, Mr Wilders is facing prosecution in the Netherlands for his anti-Islam remarks despite insisting that he has never sought to offend Muslims. "Unfortunately, there are only a few leaders who are standing up and saying our freedom of speech principles are more important than appeasing Islam" he told Reuters.

Opinion polls show that his Freedom Party would win a general election now. He has also capitalised on the gloomy mood in the Netherlands over the recession and stormed out of a parliamentary debate on tackling the economic crisis, complaining that the government had struck a deal behind closed doors.