Netherlands

Selective Tolerance in the Netherlands [Excerpts]

The situation of Muslims in the country, once regarded for its respect towards minorities, has worsened.

From a purely legal standpoint, the Netherlands is one of the world's most inclusive and liberal nations. It was one of the first countries to allow same-sex marriage, to authorize the public consumption of marijuana, and to issue clear rules for the application of euthanasia. Still, in topics such as immigration, the Dutch government has received severe criticism for shying away from multiculturalism, and attempting to force new citizens to adapt European customs, causing tension and misunderstanding.

The problems hit a low-point in September 2004, when lawmaker Geert Wilders abandoned the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Wilders, who openly opposes Turkey's accession to the European Union (EU), had voiced displeasure over the fact that Muslims in the Netherlands were not doing enough to become properly integrated.

Two months after Wilders shook the political scene, filmmaker Theo Van Gogh was murdered. Van Gogh had directed a short motion picture that depicts a husband’s abuse on a Muslim woman, and questions the interpretation of Islam's values. At the scene of the crime, death threats against Wilders and other public servants were found. The confessed assassin, Mohammed Bouyeri, was born in the Netherlands, from Moroccan parents, and has shown little remorse.

A poll from Motivaction asked Dutch adults if they think Islam is compatible with modern European life. For 63 per cent of respondents, the answer is no. Since Van Gogh's assassination, the situation of Muslims in the Netherlands -- some of whom have been in the country for more than three decades -- has worsened.

The Dutch government, renowned for its respect for homosexuals, soft drug users and people who want to end their lives has not been as accommodating when it comes to foreigners. Rita Verdonk, the minister in charge of integration and immigration, recently deported 26,000 refugees, who had been in the country for more than five years as their cases were being reviewed. Last month, Verdonk lost in the VVD's leadership race to education, culture and science secretary Mark Ruute.

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