THE HAGUE, Sept 13: Dutch Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner roused political ire on Wednesday with comments that Shariat law should be applied in the Netherlands if two-thirds of the population support it.

“For me it is clear that if two-thirds of Dutch people want to introduce Sharia that should be possible. How could we legally oppose

it? It would be scandalous

to say ‘that is impossible’.

It is the majority that counts, that’s the essence of democracy,” Donner wrote in a book released Wednesday.

His comments have sparked controversy and drawn criticism from parliament.

The leader of the Christian Democrat party in parliament, Maxime Verhagen, told the media here that people who want to introduce Shariat in the Netherlands, even through democratic channels, should be stripped of their constitutional rights.

On Wednesday Mr Donner lashed out at his critics.

“They are now suggesting that I am in favour of establishing Shariat in the Netherlands. This is not true.”

The justice minister said he meant that theoretically if a majority of Dutch voters wanted to introduce Sharia, a two-thirds majority in parliament could amend the constitution to do so.—AFP