Tue, 9 February 2010
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Five years after Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered by a Muslim extremist in Amsterdam, where half the population is of immigrant origin, the city is grappling with social integration."It was as if, before Van Gogh, they had never seen a Muslim in the Netherlands," Ahmed Marcouch, the Moroccan-origin mayor of Amsterdam suburb Slotervaart, told a recent press event.
"From one day to the next, they realised that Muslims existed and that something had to be done -- there was much panic."
Mohammed Bouyeri who shot, stabbed and cut the throat of virulent Islam critic Van Gogh on 2 November 2004, had been a resident of Slotervaart.
Though of Moroccan origin, he was born and bred in the Netherlands.
Bouyeri was jailed for life for the murder that stoked ethnic tensions in the Netherlands and raised fears of home-grown terrorism.
During his trial, Bouyeri said that "the law compels me to chop off the head of anyone who insults Allah and the prophet".
The problem in Dutch society is that there are too many Moroccans who despise western society, so they are not suited to integrate.
It would have been better if people from Arab cultures, which are so different to western civilisation, were not encouraged to stay in NL, but that is too late now. Soon enough they will outnumber causasians.
It is like bringing people from the New Guinea or Congo jungles and expecting them to fit in, when they would probably just rob, kill and eat people. We need to accept and respect the fact that people are different. Not many Westerners would feel the need to cut the throat of someone who questions their beliefs - so these people need to be kept separate from the civilsed world.
You don't mix lions and tigers at the zoo, or chimps and baboons.
i agree,i dont understand why muslims want to live amongst what they call infidels.why dont they live where thier religion is practised by everyone.i dont think the two different worlds can ever intergrate its like water and oil.
A guide to telephone, internet and television along with utility services water, electricity and gas in the Netherlands.
Lost in the Dutch immigration system? Look no further than this guide compiled for our Survival Guide 2009.
Some basic facts and figures about living and working in the Netherlands.
The challenges and benefits of the maternity system in the Netherlands and how it differs to other countries.
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