Muslims hail Dutch defeat of Fortuyn List party

telegraph.uk ^ | Filed: 24/01/2003 | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

[Nachum]

Pouring out of Rotterdam's Al-Nasr mosque after prayers yesterday, Arabs and Berbers were ecstatic over the crushing defeat meted out to Pim Fortuyn's anti-Islamic party in this week's elections.

One let out a huge sigh of relief. "Very good," he said in mixture of broken Dutch and French before hurrying off to the Oude West, a sprawling Muslim city to the west of Rotterdam, the world's biggest port, where headscarves are de rigeur for women - brightly coloured for Turks, sombre for North Africans.

The mosque is a red brick edifice that blends into the Dutch cityscape in contrast to a garish greeny-pink mosque with towering minarets nearby built by Turks. An Islamic slaughterhouse is across the road.

None cared to linger with a snooping foreigner but the mood was far less hostile than last May when the Fortuyn movement had just stormed to second place in the Dutch parliament, sending shivers through Holland's one million Muslims. Then strangers were ushered straight out of the door.

Al-Nasr mosque is under close surveillance by police. It was their firebrand imam, Khalil el-Moumni, who set off the political whirlwind 18 months ago by calling Europeans "lower than pigs" for tolerating homosexuality.

His sermons encouraged Dutch Muslims to beat their wives for disobedience, in breach of Dutch law, prompting a criminal inquiry.

His comments also prompted the homosexual Pim Fortuyn to declare cultural war in defence of Holland's easy going way of life, though Fortuyn had no inkling that his quixotic challenge would set off an earthquake and lead to his own assassination last May.

Jan Peter Balkenende, Christian Democrat prime minister, clinched a narrow victory over a revived Labour party, winning 44 seats in the 150-member parliament. Labour took 42 while the liberal VVD was third, winning 28 seats. Commentators say a grand coalition between the two is a possibility.

Marianne Vorthoren, a Muslim convert who now works for the Rotterdam Platform of Islamic Organisations, said the city's Muslims were rejoicing that the Fortuyn List had been slashed from 26 to eight seats.

"We're very happy at the result but the anti-immigrant mood is still there and it's now out in the open. Two years ago you couldn't say 'the Netherlands is full' because you'd be prosecuted for racism but now you can say anything you want about Muslims. We thought we were accepted but apparently we're not," she said.

Xinos Nicolakos, spokesman for Rotterdam's umbrella group of ethnic minorities, said Holland was on a knife-edge. "It's dangerous out there because discrimination can get out of control so easily once it starts.

"What's happening is beginning to feel like the 1930s when the Jews were scapegoated for the Depression, except this time it's the Muslims."

At the Rotterdam Stadhuis, where visitors are greeted by a statue of Winston Churchill in the garb of a Roman consul, Ronald Sorensen, the Fortuyn movement's local leader, said his party was the real winner, even if it had proved itself unfit for office during its 87 days in government.

"We had a problem with the 25 lunatics on the list below Pim Fortuyn. They quarrelled so much they spent their time wanting to punch each other on the nose instead of thinking about their jobs," he said.

"But it doesn't matter because everybody else has taken over our policies. They may get the power but we win political debate: multi-culturalism in the Netherlands is finished."

[xm177e2]

Muslims laugh now, but Fortuyn's message has gone mainstream, and his death elevated that female dissident to a very prominent position (there's nothing Muslims hate more than a former Muslim).

[facedown]

bump, ping.

[prisoner6]

bumpers

prisoner6

[swarthyguy]

When the islamis refer to their own situation, they corrall all other 'minorities' into their grievances. The only time they do. People from India were apparently some of the biggest supporters of Pim(RIP).

[ricpic]

I pity the Dutch. I read on another thread that 50% of the school age population of Rotterdam is now muslim.

I fear the Europeans are finally waking up to this catastrophe in their midst too late.

[wideawake]

"What's happening is beginning to feel like the 1930s when the Jews were scapegoated for the Depression, except this time it's the Muslims."

Uh-huh. Except that in the 1930s the Jews hadn't done anything wrong - it was just paranoia. The Dutch Jews weren't organized into terrorist cells, or publicly calling for wifebeating, or declaring jihad on society.

[CaptainJustice]

Since when is being "anti-muslim-flooding" racism?

Being a muslim isnt a race, its a religion. Its vile to hate someone because of their genetic make up, pigmentation, or heritage. I dont think wariness over people's life choices and religious-political affiliations is quite in the same league.

Thats sad when a racist doesnt even have to hate a race, just be wary of a religion that, when in control of a country, seems conducive to torture, violence, and hatred.

[johnb838]

Or committing most all of the rapes. The Netherlands will have an easier time cleansing itself of this vermin because they are much smaller than us.

[johnb838]

We must always be aware that the muslim fanatics will use ANY influence that they can including using our own freedom and tolerance against us. But they're weenies.

[VOA]

"What's happening is beginning to feel like the 1930s when the Jews were scapegoated
for the Depression, except this time it's the Muslims."

Except this time you jerks (Muslims) aren't scapegoats...YOU ARE THE PROBLEM...
Well, actually your ideology (disguised as a monotheistic religion) has caused
the current recession/depression.
The slow, lingering death of commercial aviation, aggravation of the drop in
financial markets, provoking the need to divert resources into military/defense
hardware...

The actions of Islamic murderers is the direct, undeniable cause.

For anyone who caused one of the normal "troughs" of the business cycle to become
a very deep, long-lived valley...I can't think of ANY reason to like them...
Too bad you jerks didn't understand we have a President in place who won't put up
with murdering of our citizens...

[ccc_jr]

Having spent 2 years in Holland and living in the old west of Rotterdam for 1 year (right across from that mosque) I can tell you first hand of the dire situation in Holland.

The majority of the muslims in Holland want nothing to do with Holland other than exploit the social services system and conduct organised crime. The proceeds are then funneled to the countries of origin (eg. Turkey, Morroco).

The prisions are filled (about 75% to 85%) with these muslims. The lax dutch court system generally gives these people extremely lienent sentences. It is not uncommon for a person to recieve 2 years for murder. This only exabercates the situation over there.

These people dont intermingle with the native population and have no interest becoming dutch (unlike the surinam and indonesian populations which have integerated nicely).

Imagine the current crisis with illegal aliens in the US times 100 and that is holland.

The problem in holland is that there is a very strong communist (socialist) party there that did not like the popular Pim Fortuyn movement. They used there powers (print and tv brainwashing) and crushed this popular movement.

The commies like immigration ... its easier to argue the need for a welfare state.

[Red Jones]

let's pray for Holland. They have been a great country for centuries IMHO.

[Nachum]

Wow, a first person report from someone who should know. Thanks for sharing. I bet a lot more people here would like to hear more of your experiences.

[Princeliberty]

Today reminds me of the 1940s when the
Nazis were the scapegoats blamed for WWII
the slaughter of tens of millions, brutality
etc.
Similary Muslims are blamed for terrorism,
repression, widespread murder etc...

[Nachum]

Similary Muslims are blamed for terrorism, repression, widespread murder etc...

Blamed? What are you really saying?

[wizardoz]

The problem in holland is that there is a very strong communist (socialist) party there that did not like the popular Pim Fortuyn movement. They used there powers (print and tv brainwashing) and crushed this popular movement. The commies like immigration ... its easier to argue the need for a welfare state.

This is so hideous. It's like watching a friend be slowly eaten up with cancer.

[a_Turk]

>>I pity the Dutch.

Yeah.. Especially their kids who are "legally" featured in porno mags and movies..

[DAnconia55]

It was their firebrand imam, Khalil el-Moumni, who set off the political whirlwind 18 months ago by calling Europeans "lower than pigs" for tolerating homosexuality

With adults. But hey, if you've got a small boy you want to bugger, then by all means....

Fruitcakes.

[Ichabod Walrus]

Yeah.. Especially their kids who are "legally" featured in porno mags and movies..

Yeah, they could be bought and sold "illegally" in Turkey instead.