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Muslim mayor of Rotterdam Ahmed Aboutaleb tells extremists who 'don't like freedom' to 'f*** off'

He launched his strongly-worded tirade on Dutch television

Kashmira Gander

Tuesday 13 January 2015 15:44 GMT

Ahmed Aboutaleb has launched a strongly-worded tirade against Islamic extremists (ROBERT VOS/AFP/Getty Images)

In the wake of last week's tragic Paris terror attacks, the Muslim mayor of Rotterdam has launched a strongly worded attack to Islamist extremists living in the West who “turn against freedom” - by telling them to “f*ck off”.

The Labour politician, who leads one of Netherland’s most highly populated cities, made the comments following the brutal murder of 17 people in Paris last week: 12 of whom died at the headquarters of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The Koucahi brothers, who carried out the attack at the Charlie Hebdo office, are believed to have acted in retaliation against controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed featured in the publication.

Witnesses reported that the pair shouted: "We have avenged the Prophet Mohamed" during the massacre.

“It’s incomprehensible that you turn against freedom like that, but if you don’t like this freedom, for heaven’s sake, get your suitcase, and leave,” the 53-year-old told the current affairs programme Nieuwsuur.

"There might be a place where you belong, and be honest with yourself about that, don’t kill innocent journalists," Mr Aboutaleb continued.

"This is so backwards, so incomprehensible, go away if you can’t find your place in the Netherlands, or accept the society we want to build here, because we only want people, including all those Muslims, and all those well-intentioned Muslims, who may be looked at with suspicion, we want to keep all those people together in what I call the 'We Society'.

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1/8In pictures: Cities across the world light up landmarks in show of unity with France

In pictures: Cities across the world light up landmarks in show of unity with France

New York, USA

The Empire State Building is lit up in the colors of the French flag to pay tribute to the victims of the shooting by gunmen at the Paris offices of weekly satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, in the Manhattan borough of New York

In pictures: Cities across the world light up landmarks in show of unity with France

London, UK

The colours of the French national flag are reflected in the fountains of Trafalgar Square as they are projected in tribute to the Paris terror attacks, on the The National Gallery in London

In pictures: Cities across the world light up landmarks in show of unity with France

London, UK

Tower Bridge is illuminated with the colours of the French Tricolore flag, in support of the victims of recent terrorist attacks in France

In pictures: Cities across the world light up landmarks in show of unity with France

London, UK

The London Eye is alternately lit in the colours of the French national flag in tribute to the 17 people killed in the Paris terror attacks, in London

In pictures: Cities across the world light up landmarks in show of unity with France

Rome, Italy

Rome's city hall (Campidoglio) is lighted with France's colors, blue, white and red in Rome in remembrance of the victims of an attack against Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly which killed 12 people in Paris

In pictures: Cities across the world light up landmarks in show of unity with France

Berlin, Germany

The writing on the facade of the French embassy reads 'Je suis Charlie!' (I am Charlie!) to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attack on French satire magazine 'Charlie Hebdo', during a vigil at the French embassy in Berlin

In pictures: Cities across the world light up landmarks in show of unity with France

Paris, France

A sign on the Arc de Triomphe reads "Paris is Charlie" in solidarity with the victims of the shooting at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris

In pictures: Cities across the world light up landmarks in show of unity with France

Paris, France

As a tribute for the victims of terrorist attack the lights of the Eiffel Tower were turned off for five minutes at 8pm local time, the day after the massacre in Paris

"And if you don’t like it here because you don’t like the humorists who make a little newspaper – if I may dare say so – just f*** off," he declared.

The son of an imam, Moroccan-born Mr Aboutaleb arrived in the Netherlands aged 15 in 1976, according to the Telegraph.

Having previously served as the social affairs state secretary, in 2008 he was elected as the first immigrant to become a mayor a city in the Netherlands.