Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party, has called Integration Minister Eberhard van der Laan (of the Labour Party) and Democrats D66 leader Alexander Pechtold "political accomplices" of Mohammed Bouyeri, the murderer of filmmaker Theo van Gogh.

Five years ago today, the Dutch filmmaker was stabbed to death in the street by a radical young Muslim who felt he had insulted Islam. Theo van Gogh was well known for his outspoken anti-Islamic views and was the maker of the controversial film Submission. The murder was the second political murder in recent history in the Netherlands and sent shockwaves through the country. (The first came when politician Pim Fortuyn was murdered shortly before the elections in May 2002.)

Mr Wilders says comments by the two politicians have contributed to "a climate of hate and violence against him and his party." He added that the Labour Party and D66 had not learnt anything from the murder of Pim Fortuyn.  The two politicians have typified the Freedom Party as extreme right and a danger to the constitutional state at the weekend.

Mr Wilders believes that this "demonisation and the denouncements"  were made out of fear of the Freedom Party's success. He warned: "If anything ever happens to me or my party that everyone will know that Van der Laan and Pechtold contributed to a climate that made it seem justified to some madmen."

The Friends of Pim Fortuyn foundation is holding a public commemoration of Theo van Gogh on the spot where he died this afternoon. A number of debates have also been organised to mark the anniversary of his death.

Photo: Geert Wilders - ANP