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

Mario Canseco - 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 adopt 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 Rutte.

An extraordinary surprise came with the emergence of a new political party, called Charity, Freedom and Diversity (NVD). The name immediately evokes positive feelings, but the organization—which requires 570 signatures of support to become officially registered and participate in the legislative election tentatively scheduled for January 2007—has a very unorthodox platform. Among the NVD's proposals are legalizing child pornography, decriminalizing the consumption of all drugs, and making train travel free.

Even in a liberal nation, the NVD's birth was shocking. 79 per cent of respondents to a MijnOpinie.nl poll think the party should be banned. Lawmaker Lousewies van der Laan of Democrats 66 (D66)—which is part of the governing coalition along with the Christian-Democratic Appeal (CDA) of minister-president Jan Peter Balkenende and the VVD—declared, "These people need a psychiatrist, not a political party."

Immigration has been an extremely complex topic. Although the Netherlands began to offer legal status to many foreigners in the 1980s, things have changed. In 2003, emigration exceeded immigration for the first time in two decades. If Canada, for instance, places the ability of immigrants to develop in the workplace over any ethnic or religious consideration, the Dutch appear to be trying to discourage specific groups. Verdonk's office distributes a leaflet titled "Domestic Violence and Your Residence Permit." It is the only publication that has a picture of a Muslim woman on the cover.

Earlier this month, a Dutch public servant felt out of place, rejected and marginalized. The Netherlands' ambassador to Estonia, Hans Glaubitz, asked the Foreign Office to transfer him to Montreal, arguing that he has faced homophobia and racism in Tallin for his relationship with a Cuban man. Perhaps after a few months in Canada, Glaubitz will be in a fortunate position to explain to his government that respect for minorities cannot be selective.

Archive Search

Search the Angus Reid Global Monitor Politics In Depth archive.