"While this is not illegal in the Netherlands, it sheds light on the
international connections of Wilders, whose Freedom Party is the least
transparent Dutch parliamentary group and a rallying point for Europe's far
right. Wilders' party is self-funded, unlike other Dutch parties that are subsidized
by the government. It does not, therefore, have to meet the same disclosure
requirements. Groups in America seeking to counter Islamic influence in the West say they
funded police protection and paid legal costs for Wilders whose party is polling
in fourth place before the Sept 12 election. Wilders' ideas - calling for a halt to non-Western immigration and bans on
Muslim headscarfs and the construction of mosques - have struck a chord in
mainstream politics beyond the Netherlands. France banned clothing that
covers the face in April 2011 and Belgium followed suit in July of the same
year. Switzerland barred the construction of new minarets following a referendum
in 2009. The Middle East Forum, a pro-Israeli think tank based in Philadelphia, funded
Wilders' legal defense in 2010 and 2011 against Dutch charges of inciting racial
hatred, its director Daniel Pipes said."