Dutch vote Muslims talk of fear as far right leads polls

The drawing depicted two women; a young blonde with a friendly expression and a scowling older woman wearing a headscarf.

- Ashifa Kassam

On top of the image was a nod to this month's general election in the Netherlands, along with the phrase "The choice is yours".

The social media post, made by the far-right, anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders, prompted a record 14,000 complaints to the country's anti-discrimination hotline. "Many of those who called to report the image compared it to Nazi propaganda from the second world war," the hotline said in a statement, adding that the 19 anti-discrimination agencies associated with the hotline had flagged the post to police amid concerns that it could be an incitement to hatred.

It was a glimpse of how the discourse across the Netherlands has hardened in recent years, as politicians disproportionately target Muslims, asylum-seekers and other minority communities in a bid to drum up votes.

As polls suggest that Wilders' party could again emerge with the most votes, tomorrow's election has been recast as a broader litmus test for the country and its democratic ideals.