Posted on 02/12/2005 11:58:49 AM PST by Eurotwit
What is happening to Holland that once stood as the shining light of tolerance and religious freedom? A country that the entire world admired for its courageous protection of Jews and other persecuted people during World War II?
It would appear that Holland has forgotten its own history.
In a series of attempts to discourage immigration from Third World countries, the Dutch have introduced a legislative proposal that would require some potential immigrants to take an examination to prove that they have an understanding of the Dutch language and culture. This applies to individuals who marry a Dutch citizen or who have family members already living in Holland.
It does not apply to people from the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan or the United States.
This exam will require 350 hours of study and will cost each applicant $468.
One of the most disturbing elements of this program is a video that these individuals must watch. The video describes the essence of Dutch life. In the video are images of windmills and tulips but there are also scenes of a homosexual wedding and topless women sunbathing — elements that are clearly offensive to Muslim people.
There are about one million Muslims living in Netherlands. This represents six percent of the total population. They migrated to Holland mostly as “guest workers” from Morocco and Turkey from the 1960s through the 1990s.
According to Andre Krouwel, a political scientist at Amsterdam’s Free University, Holland encouraged these workers to maintain both their linguistic and cultural identities. The Dutch governments assumed these workers would eventually return to their native homes. Some did but many did not. It was in essence a miscalculation.
Now, the Muslim population in Holland is trying to become part of that country with all the rights and privileges the Dutch enjoy. However, there are a number of native Dutch who are against the absorption of these immigrants into their society. A recent poll showed that 50 percent of the voters support tighter restrictions on immigration and asylum and some elected officials are using this issue for political gain.
One such official is Parliamentarian Geert Wilders.
Wilders is building his political strength on a platform of anti-immigration and what many observers call bigotry. He calls immigration the biggest problem that Dutch society faces today. “We have been so tolerant of other’s culture and religion,” he says. “We are losing our own. Europe is losing itself. One day we will wake up and it will be too late. Immigration will have killed our country and our democracy”.
He calls mosques “houses of terror and recruitment” for jihad. He describes Islam as “dangerous” and “fascist”.
He warns the Dutch about not learning from the lessons of Pim Fortuyn, an anti-immigration activist who was killed by a deranged animal rights activist in 2002.
What is dangerous is that many of the people in Holland are listening to Wilders.
After the assassination of Pim Fortuyn his political party went on to win 26 of 150 seats in the Parliament.
Last November, when the anti-Islamist crusader Theo van Gogh was killed by a Dutch citizen of Moroccan descent on a street in Amsterdam, the sentiment against Muslim immigrants rose sharply.
Wilders who had been isolated in the Parliament suddenly had 19 other members of that body supporting his ideas on immigration issues, such as a five-year moratorium on all non-Western immigration.
Just a few days after the Van Gogh killing, Fortuyn was named one of the most important persons in Dutch history, outpolling Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt, two world famous Dutch painters.
Wilders’ rhetoric is inflammatory and often inaccurate. He claims that the immigrant population has grown from 160,000 to 1.6 million — a 1,000 percent growth.
What he does not say is that the number includes second and third generation children of immigrants, children born in Holland, who are legally Dutch.
He excites his audience by stating that 90 percent of the prison population is foreign. The Netherlands’ Central Statistical Office shows that number to be about 50 percent. While this is a high percentage in relation to the total population, as Andre Krouwel has stated, Holland increasingly finds itself divided into two societies, a relatively affluent and educated Dutch “in-group” and a mainly Muslim under-skilled “out-group”.
Disenfranchised members of any society are often found in higher percentages among prison populations. The underlying elements that men like Wilders and Fortuyn appeal to are dangerous and inhumane. With Dutch women having 1.7 children and their population living longer, economists predict their extensive social-welfare network will go bust without the influx of new, young workers.
True, some Dutch express concerns about losing their culture, about their disappearing heritage.
The answer should be in managing their immigration system, not in dismantling a major part of it. It is a shame that this country has reached such a sad state of affairs that they are looking at the ethnic background or religionist beliefs of would-be immigrants.
Perhaps, they should reflect upon the idea that the complexion of the Dutch people is changing, which is inevitable as it is for most Western nations. Their Muslim population can make great contributions to this new Holland, if they refuse to hear the voices of anger and prejudice.
Islamic terror and thuggery is what happened to Holland. You seem surprised at their reaction.
What is happening to Holland that once stood as the shining light of tolerance and religious freedom?
If I majored in Irony, I'd right my thesis on that news source printing that sentence.
Note To Arabs:
People have a tendency to not like those who try to kill them.
I love this line
"" Dutch have introduced a legislative proposal that would require some potential immigrants""
I wonder what group? Uhhh
Well, well, well... look at "Arab News"! Aren't they cute? The Netherlands should enforce a permament moratorium on Mohammedan immigrants. It's not the ethnicity but the "RELIGION" of the invaders that's messing up The Netherlands.
I suspect the islamic thugs miscalculated, believing they had protections in europe as robust as those of the American constitution. Ignorant savages are finding out otherwise.
muslim murderers have a way of pissing people off.
And there is the "blame" sentence. It isn't the fault of the Muslim population or of Islam itself that Holland has reached such a sad state. It is the fault of the Dutch.
Islam will never get any respect in the western world because there is nothing respectable about it. It is a coward's religion. It doesn't even have the courage to look in the mirror.
Islam versus Holland- Red Cresent Rising?
various FR links | 11-13-04 | The Heavy Equipment Guy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1279355/posts
It strikes me that the question might be better put "Are the Dutch Becoming Xenophobic Enough? And In Time?"
The Dutch have had their wake-up call. How they respond to it will indicate whether or not Europe is salvageable, from a Western point of view.
Of course, the onus is on the Muslim minority to moderate and assimilate. Or, at least, acclimate.
But the larger responsibility rests with the Dutch majority. Can they organize and act with resolve, so as to secure their posterity? Or will they allow themselves to be subsumed? Or will they develop some successful "third way", that isn't a slow-motion surrender?
These choices will be of more than academic interest to future historians.
Hey Backhoe,
I spent the last week going through many of the links you have collated. Amazing stuff that you do.
Thank you very much. Your work is so valuable.
Have a great weekend.
Cheers.
It is infuriating to see how the Arab press turns its back on the misdeeds of Muslims. How many times does it have to be pointed out that while not all Muslims are terrorists, nearly all terrorists are Muslim?
The only thing wrong with the policy is that its about 50 years late.
One of whom killed Theo. The problem is that they may legally be Dutch, but they do not think of themselves as such.
And now Holland has changed it's mind. The Dutch, as well as all Europeans, have for decades gone out of their way to be respectful to immigrants and their cultures. This policy has largely succeeded with most immigrant groups, who want to assimilate and be productive members of society. But it hasn't worked for the Muslims, who are the only ones to consistently present problems. I'm so sick of this bellyaching.
I suspect all Muslims have problems with mirrors. If you were a Muslim, would you like to look in the mirror?
what percent of Hollands population is Muslim, does anyone know?
Tolerance can exist only amongst civilized people. Didn't anyone think of that. People are for the most part barbarians until they are civilized. Some don't get that. We are no better than primitive animals without civilization.
This may be a stupid question, but if the Dutch lifestyle is so offensive to Muslims, why do they move there? Unless of course it is not to become dutch, but to invade and destroy the country. Ok, I guess it was a stupid question.
If you have a problem with taking the test or the cost of the test--stay the hell where you are. I would like to see America give the same test.
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