REAL LIVES
Diary of a travelling imam
Going Dutch
cultures of Dutch society.” I one: an Iranian from Wilders’
found it very sad that Muslims party who called himself an
would live and enjoy the ben- ex-Muslim. Hmm...
efits of Holland yet refuse to My next appointment was
I left a cold, wet and windy Democrats led mainly by acknowledge the good values with a Dutch MEP. He told
London to arrive at a cold, immigrants. None has gained of the country. I remembered me bluntly that his country
wet and windy Amsterdam. any political influence or any the saying of the Prophet, “he has a track record on welcom-
I was on my way to the Hague seats in government. In con- who is not grateful to his fel- ing rejects from the Muslim
to learn what the main prob- trast, Greet Wilders’ far right low humans, is not grateful world such as Taslima Nasrin
lem was between the Muslim anti-Islam, anti-Muslim, anti- to God.” (Bangladesh), Ayan Hirsi Ali
community and the native immigrants party has at least The far right neo-Nazi and (Somalia) and Nasir Abu Zayd
Dutch. My first meeting 17% of the Dutch vote, and if racist groups are capitalis- (Egypt). I found this very
was with a group of young there were an election today, ing on ordinary people’s fear ironic: whilst the ‘rejects’
Muslims of various ethnic he would get over 25 seats. and creating a dishonest nar- get red carpet treatment, the
origins. The Dutch have been My host told me that the rative. This rift between the local Muslim population gets
using two terms to describe Dutch were struggling to cope Muslims and non-Muslims opprobrium. Only in the
the makeup of their country: with the new reality. “We can only be overcome if both Netherlands can you find such
“autochtoon” for the original are very open minded and are willing to work towards extremes. It is OK for people
inhabitants and “allochtoon” welcoming in theory, but in mutual harmony. The Dutch to use and sell drugs; to have
for new arrivals. However, the practice we are uncomforta- were once religious people but prostitutes on open display,
young Muslims in my meet- ble with colours and cultures. no more; now they are driven but it is not OK for Muslim
ing were not happy with these The white Dutch are finding it by money, individualism, sex women to wear the headscarf.
classifications. They were hard to accept their own cul- and a secular lifestyle. I asked I asked the MEP about
born in Netherlands and some ture has been lost. Holland the deputy Mayor how many Turkey joining the EU. “We
of them were 3rd generation will never be the same again,” Muslims worked in his coun- are not ready for Turkey, not
Dutch. So another term was he lamented. cil. He hesitated and then said for at least another ten years.
invented for them – “the new We drove out to meet According to the major-
Dutch!” the deputy Mayor of “The DuTch ity EU countries, if Turkey
These young Muslims were Leidschendam-Voorburg. We
were once
joins it would alter the social
fed up with the Muslim lead- discussed the Muslim/non-
ership and extremely angry by Muslim divide. I asked him
religious,
and demographic cohesion
in the EU,” he believed. “The
the constant attack from the why the Dutch were turning buT no more; Muslim communities have
media and right wing politi- against Islam. “Lack of inte-
now They
made us realise our failures
cians. The state had offered gration, inability to speak
the right to broadcast Islamic Dutch and not taking any
are Driven
and appreciate our cultures
programmes on national TV, interest in Dutch culture,” he
by money,
and religion,” he said. I was
amazed to think how true this
but the infighting has left the candidly replied. “The Muslim
inDiviDualism,
must be for many Europeans:
Dutch people demanding the community is excluding
sex anD a
their churches were empty-
government withdraw the itself from the rest of society.
offer. An organisation was set Muslims need to accept and
secular
ing whilst more Mosques
were being built, and the
up to represent the interests of confirm the good customs and
lifesTyle.”
most popular cuisine in the
the Dutch Muslims, but very Netherlands is Turkish.
soon a rival was set up – a bit I was very surprised to
like how the Muslim Council learn that the Dutch even had
of Britain was challenged ini- shopping centres based on
tially by the British Muslim religious identity. I assumed
Forum and then the govern- this was based on the various
ment created Sufi Muslim Christian denominations. I
Council. Some things never wondered how this would go
change! down in the UK. Imagine a
The Muslims in shopping centre with a sign
Netherlands have established “only sunni Muslims allowed”
two political parties: the or “only Catholics allowed”.
Dutch Muslim Party formed Happily, that is something we
by converts, and the Islamic don’t share with the Dutch. l
102 emel magazine |
www.emel.com IllustratIon KIMBERLEY BARQUILLA
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104