Islamophobia in Europe

The Netherlands guilty of war crimes in Afghanistan

2008-01-29T23:36:00.000+03:00

Netherlands is guilty of serious violations of the war in Afghanistan. These are the words of two lawyers who have done yesterday declaration against the Dutch government on the summit of the Armed Forces as reported by the Dutch magazine Trouw.

The Dutch troops have not adequately taken into account the presence of civilians.

According to the lawyers Nico Steijnen and Meindert Stelling, who actively work for the association Lawyers for Peace, these allegations include a battle in the district of Chora where Dutch troops killed between fifty and seventy civilians.

Most of them are according to independent investigation slain by Dutch fire.

The NATO commander in the province of Uruzgan described the use of heavy infantry, which is in violation of war rules but his superiors have a different view regarding this matter according to the Dutch newspaper Trouw.

Het Openbaar Ministerie doet al onderzoek naar het gevecht in Chora in juni, maar volgens de vredesadvocaten heeft Nederland al in 2003 in Afghanistan burgerslachtoffers gemaakt.

The Public Ministry has been conducting an investigation into the battle of Chora since June, but according to the ‘vredesadvocaten’ lawyers of peace, the Netherlands already killed civilians in Afghanistan in 2003.

The lawyers declare in the newspaper that the NATO has given itself ‘carte blanche’ the license to execute the leaders of the Taliban outside the law.

The declaration covers also following Dutch persons, Commander of the Armed Forces Dick Berlin and Secretary-General of NATO Jaap de hoop Scheffer and the highest officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence.

According to Trouw it is expected Wednesday to be known whether the Public Ministry will accept the complaints.

The lawyers, who previously tried to get the Netherlands prosecuted for air strikes in the former Yugoslavia, have already stated to go to a higher court in case the Public Ministry doesn’t want to accept the complaints.

The Netherlands heading for a Clash With Islam

2008-01-28T23:28:00.000+03:00

The Netherlands has gained international attention by becoming the most recent European nation to stir up against Islam. Geert Wilders, chairman of the recently formed Netherlands’ Freedom Party, called the Koran “an inspiration for murder” and said that if the prophet Mohammed were alive today, he would have him “tarred and feathered as an extremist and deported if he were in Holland.” Wilder has produced a film he plans to air this March on how the Koran inspires murder.

It is becoming increasingly common in Europe for politicians to speak out against Islam. Bavarian Premier Edmund Stoiber decried the multiplying number of Islamic mosques in Bavaria this past September. Austrian candidate for the Graz City Council Susanne Winter made headlines for saying that Islam should be “thrown back where it came from, behind the Mediterranean.” Now Geert Wilders has joined the ranks of politicians disgruntled by Islam’s spread across Europe.

What makes Wilders’s actions even more serious, however, is the fact that he is actually producing a film propagating his views. This is taking it a step beyond just making a statement in a speech. Up to this point, all the most controversial films and cartoons about Islam have been produced by cartoonists, journalists, artists or filmmakers (like Theo van Gogh).

Iran has already expressed outrage against Wilders’s proposed film. “We expect the Dutch government to prevent screening of such a film. Otherwise, the Majlis MPs will call on the Iranian government to review its relations with Holland,” said Iranian Foreign Policy Chairman Alaeddin Borujerdi. He warned that the Muslim world would not tolerate any kind of insult to Islam and that “extensive repercussions from Muslims throughout the globe” would occur if the film is shown.

In the past, the leaders of European nations have apologized for and culled any images that the Islamic world has raised outrage against. This time around, the Dutch seem set to stand up for their so called free speech. Instead of banning the release of the film, the Dutch government has prepared evacuation plans for its Middle East embassies and held emergency meetings with Dutch counterterrorism services.

Dutch government officials have called for EU support in the event of a Islamic backlash against the film. On the sidlines of a recent informal EU meeting in Slovenia, Luxembourg Justice Minister Luc Frieden said, “We must also protect those who may be hurt or harmed by irresponsible statements …. It is our moral duty to call upon everybody, to make people aware, so that they do not abuse their fundamental rights.” Islamic repercussions against Wilders’s film may extend far beyond the borders of the Netherlands. The European Union is preparing for this eventuallity.

Offending Islam and Islamophobia is considered in most of the European countries as free speech, but don't try to raise any issue regarding the Jewish community because you might risk a ban and end up in jail.

Wilders and his film worry Dutch expats

2008-01-28T23:24:00.000+03:00

Dutch people living abroad are worried about the effects of right-wing politician Geert Wilders' anti-Qu'ran film. In recent weeks Dutch embassies have been busy making emergency plans, a move which many people have judged as an over-reaction. However, Dutch expats in Islamic countries in particular say that they are already having problems as a result of comments made by Wilders and that they are beginning to fear for their personal safety.

More than 1000 Dutch participants in Radio Netherlands Worldwide's Global Forum - all of them living outside the Netherlands - have responded to questions put to them about the commotion surrounding the Wilders' film, which has yet to be released.

The Dutch embassies' fears of a possible violent reaction seem to have escaped the attention of the majority of the respondents. However, of those living in Islamic countries, nine percent say they had been approached by or received relevant information from their embassy.
For the rest, most of the Dutch expats seem fairly calm and believe the media have devoted too much attention to Mr Wilders' comments. Furthermore, there was no talk of any of them returning - temporarily or otherwise - to the Netherlands in connection with this issue.

Danger
Geert Wilders, leader of the new Freedom Party, has been major news in the Netherlands for weeks with his anti-Qu'ran film, even though no one has seen a single second of it and it's not yet known where and when it will be released.

For many people, though, they simply have to think back to what happened following the release of Theo van Gogh's film Submission in 2004. He was killed by an extremist Muslim several months later.

Many Dutch expats are concerned about their own position and no fewer than nine out of ten believe that Wilders' has put his own life in danger too. Around half of the respondents to the RNW survey warn that Dutch firms could soon be boycotted as a result of the film.

A somewhat smaller percentage fears that there could also be attacks on Dutch targets. However, the most remarkable finding concerns the number of Dutch citizens in Islamic countries who say they are already facing problems or even danger in connection with Geert Wilders: 43 percent.

Politics
Even in Islamic countries, however, the majority of the expats who responded to the survey believe that Wilders should be able to say whatever he wants and that the Dutch government should not take action against the film. While they think that his statements are indeed polarising Dutch society and offensive to a large group of people, nearly two-thirds believe that he is only saying what most people think.

Dutch expats say the politicians in The Hague are the ones who are really responsible. At least three-quarters place the blame not on Wilders but on the larger, mainstream political parties for avoiding issues concerning foreigners and immigration.

Islam
The expats are for the most part more moderate in their opinion of ‘Islamification' than Wilders. Although even in Islamic countries there is a group of eight percent which agrees with his view that Islam is a ‘backward' culture.

A small majority of the Dutch expats thinks that the influence of Islam will become a problem for the Netherlands. However, the figure is a bit lower among expats who live in Islamic countries, and most expats do not believe that the Netherlands will become Islamicised.

They also do not agree with Wilders' controversial remark that Integration Minister Ella Vogelaar is "bonkers" for saying that the Netherlands is becoming a society with a Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition. Most of those questioned even think that this is plausible, although they are not quite so sure of whether they should be happy about this.

Join the conversation
A majority of those surveyed say that Wilders receives little media attention in the country in which they live and that they are not aware of anyone within their immediate circle who knows anything about Wilders' statements.

However where there are other people who have heard of him, he's the topic of the day: more than 70 percent then discuss the Wilders issue and fully intend to stay part of the debate.

Join the conversation
A majority of those surveyed say that Wilders receives little media attention in the country in which they live and that in their neighbourhood they aren't aware of anyone who knows anything about Wilders' statements.

However in places where the issue is in the news it's the topic of the day: more than 70 percent discuss the Wilders issue. And they are fully intent on joining the conversation, whether they think it's a hype or not. Few people are planning to avoid the topic. They would rather know what all the commotion is about.

قاطعوا هولندة يا أمة محمد

2008-01-25T20:17:00.000+03:00

في حلقة جديدة من مسلسل العنصرية المتنامية في الدول الأوروبية ضد الإسلام والمسلمين، فشلت الحكومة الهولندية في إقناع زعيم حزب الحرية المتطرف جيريت فيلدرز بالتراجع عن عزمه عرض فيلم مسيء لمشاعر المسلمين عن القرآن الكريم الذي يصفه بالكتاب الفاشي والمرعب.

وكان فيلدرز شبه في تصريحات سابقة له القرآن الكريم ب"كتاب كفاحي فاشي" لهتلر، وذكر أن الأجدر بالمسلمين أن يتخلوا عنه، أو يحذفوا كل الآيات التي تحض على القتل والكراهية، "حتى يصبح كتيباً يشبه إلى حد ما قصص الأطفال"، على حد ما ورد في افتراءات هذا المتطرف الهولندي

تصريحات المتطرف فيلدرز

دأب زعيم حزب الحرية الهولندي اليميني المتطرف خيرت فيلدرز على مهاجمة الإسلام والمسلمين، حيث قال في تصريحات نشرت له مؤخرا: إن "الإسلام لا يستحق الاحترام، بل تجب محاربته بوصفه إيديولوجية فاشية غير متسامحة"، على حد زعمه، منتقدا البيان الذي يدعو إلى احترام المسلمين والتسامح معهم، الذي وقعه عدد من الشخصيات الهولندية البارزة، ونشر الاسبوع الماضي في صحيفة (تليخراف) الهولندية، واصفا إياه ب "عمل حمقى سذج"، كما انتقد غير المسلمين الذين يتعاطفون مع المسلمين ويقدمون مصالحهم.
كما لم يسلم النبي عليه السلام من لسان هذا السياسي الهولندي الموتور، حيث وصفه عليه السلام ب "الرجل الفظيع"، وتمنى لو يرمي بكتاب الله العزيز في القمامة، على حد ما ورد في بعض التصريحات الكثيرة المسيئة التي تبرز أحقاد هذا السياسي الهولندي تجاه الإسلام والمسلمين.

وكان فيلدرز قد طالب بإصدار قرار حكومي بحظر القرآن الكريم ومصادرة تداوله أو بيع المصاحف على الأراضي الهولندية. وقال "إن هذا الكتاب (المصحف الشريف) كان يجب حظر تداوله أو ترويجه في هولندا منذ انتهاء الحرب العالمية الثانية، لأنه كتاب فاشي ذو تعاليم فاشية".

وتمادى فيلدرز في تطرفه قائلا "يجب منع تداول القرآن أو قراءته في المساجد والمنازل، ومن يضبط بحوزته القرآن يجب أن تتم معاقبته، فمصادرته ستكون علامة وإشارة هولندية لرفض العنف بين المسلمين".

ونقلت جريدة "الوطن" السعودية عن بيان المجلس قوله "قد نتفهم تخوف المنتمين لحزب الحرية من الإسلام لعدم وضوحه أمامهم، ولكن لا يجب على فيلدرز مؤاخذة القرآن بما ترتكبه قلة من العنف ولا يجب اعتباره يدعو للعنف"، مشيرا إلى أنه سبق وأن دعا المجلس الإسلامي والمؤسسات الإسلامية فيلدرز للحوار وتوضيح الرؤيا حول الإسلام، لكنه لم يستجب لهذه الدعوات.

كما ندد أئمة المساجد في هولندا بتصريحات فيلدرز، واعتبروها غير مسؤولة ولا تمثل الحكومة أو الشعب الهولندي، وبادر الأئمة بمطالبة المسلمين بالتروي والهدوء، وإثبات رغبتهم في التعايش السلمي على الأراضي الهولندية.
إلى ذلك، رفض 75% من الهولنديين مطلب فيلدرز بحظر القرآن في الأراضي الهولندية ومصادرة نسخ المصحف ومعاقبة من يتداولها، وقالوا في استطلاع للرأي أجرته إذاعة هولندا، وأذيعت نتائجه أمس إنه ليس من حق فيلدرز المطالبة بذلك أو نشر هذا الرأى بالإعلام الهولندي.

ولم يدعم مطلب فيلدرز وتوجهاته المعادية للإسلام سوى 19 % فقط، فيما طالب 31% ممن أجري عليهم استطلاع الرأي، الصحف والإعلام بعدم نشر مثل هذه المطالب مجددا. كما طالب 29% من الهولنديين في الاستطلاع بضرورة تتبع أو ملاحقة فيلدرز قانونيا، لأن ما قاله يعد نشرا للكراهية والعداء داخل المجتمع الهولندي.
محيط

والله ان تمسكنا بكتابه الله واتباع سنه نبينا صلى الله عليه وعلىآاله وصحبه وسلم لهى الرد الحقيقى على ما نعانيه من هجوم ضد الاسلام والله لو منعو بيعه فى اوربا كلها لما استطاعوا ان يمنعونا من نشره بالسنتنا وافعالنا التى تسير على منهج القرآن والسنه المطهره
والى جميع المتشككين فى ان هناك حرب على الاسلام الم يعد الان الامر واضحا جليا لكل من كان له عقل

المقصود هنا ان نصحى ونعي ما يدور حولنا وان نزداد تمسك بديننا الحنيف ونكثر من طاعاتنا حتى نكون اهل لهذا الدين الذي يحسدنا عليه الداني والقاصي .انهم لم ولن يكفوا عن محاولاتهم لايذائنا وايذاء ديننا ولكن لنكثر من ذكر الله ونصلح من انفسنا ونرجع الى الله ونتوكل على الواحد الاحد حتى نكون كالطوفان في وجوههم ويعزنا الله عز وجل ويظهرنا عليهم.

The Netherlands is facing a huge boycott in Muslim world

2008-01-18T23:06:00.000+03:00

Tensions are growing over the expected release of a film by Geert Wilders, leader of the right-wing populist Freedom Party. At the end of last year Mr Wilders announced he was working on a film about the Koran as "a source of inspiration for intolerance, murder and terror". Dutch ministers have apparently been holding secret meetings about the film for some time. They are concerned about its possible repercussions in the Netherlands and abroad.

During a visit to the European Parliament in Strasburg this week, Syria's Grand Mufti Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun said that if the Freedom Party leader tears up or burns a Koran in his film,

"this will simply mean he is inciting wars and bloodshed. And he will be responsible. It is the responsibility of the Dutch people to stop Wilders."
The Muslim cleric's tone is reminiscent of the crisis that followed the publishing of the Danish cartoons of Mohammed two years ago. His words are all the more ominous considering that the most violent protests took place in Syria.

Secret meetings

Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party, which has nine seats in the 150-member Dutch Lower House

The Dutch authorities are concerned about the possible repercussions of the anti-Koran film which Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders plans to release at the end of January.

On Wednesday it was announced that Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, Interior Minister Guusje ter Horst and Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin have been holding secret meetings about the expected consequences for some time. The National Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Tjibbe Joustra, is also involved in the discussions.

Mr Wilders announced his plans last November. He said he was making a film to show that the Koran is a fascist book which incites believers to violence and hatred.

Mr Wilders' remarks about Islam have become increasingly radical since the beginning of 2007. In February last year he said that if Muslims want to stay in the Netherlands they should tear out half the Koran and throw it away. In parliament he then called for the Koran to be banned, a proposal that was promptly rejected.

Mr Wilders now appears to be continuing his campaign against the Koran with this film. However, its exact content and where it will be shown remains shrouded in mystery. The big question is whether he will publicly desecrate the Koran, perhaps by tearing it up or burning it.

Tensions

Shortly after Mr Wilders had announced the making of his film, the interior and justice ministers held an interview with him, warning him of its possible repercussions and the associated risks to him personally. It appears that in November the interior minister also sent a letter to all mayors in the Netherlands, asking them to be 'extra alert' to the tensions that might arise, even before the film is released. "The announcement of the film," she wrote, "could lead to unrest in society and tension between population groups."

Police forces in major cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam say they are preparing for possible disturbances after the premiere of the notorious film, and seeking the cooperation of imams and other leading figures in the Muslim communities.

Danish cartoons

The Dutch authorities are also concerned about the reaction abroad, bearing in mind the spectre of the Danish cartoon crisis two years ago, when in many Muslim countries demonstrations were held, some of which turned violent. Dutch embassies in Islamic countries have received instructions on how to respond to possible violent protests against the film, and Dutch citizens abroad have been asked to register with their embassies in case evacuation becomes necessary.

Earlier this week Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen was in Madrid to attend the Alliance of Civilisations, an international forum aimed at reducing tensions between the Islamic world and the West. He was repeatedly questioned about the film. Addressing the forum he spoke about freedom of religion and expression.

"It is difficult to anticipate the content of the film, but freedom of expression doesn't mean the right to offend."

If the film is unacceptable, said Mr Verhagen, the Dutch government will express its disagreement in no uncertain terms. After the Danish cartoon crisis, various experts said they believed the wave of protest around the world might have been prevented if the Danish government had immediately distanced itself from the cartoons of the prophet Mohammed.

Anti-Islamisation campaign in Belgium

2008-01-17T23:15:00.000+03:00

Far-right groups are calling for a ban on the building of new mosques as part of a new campaign to stop the spread of radical Islam in Europe.

Belgium's far-right Vlaams Belang party teamed up with radical groups from Austria and Germany on Thursday to launch a Charter to 'fight the Islamisation of West-European cities'.

"We are not opposed to freedom of religion but we don't want Muslims to impose their way of life and traditions over here because much of it is not compatible with our way of life," Vlaams Belang's Filip Dewinter told Radio Netherlands Worldwide. "We can't accept headscarves in our schools, forced marriages and the ritual slaughter of animals."

Mosques as catalysts
In particular, the coalition called for a moratorium on new mosques, which they say "act as catalysts for the Islamisation of entire neighbourhoods."

"We already have over 6,000 mosques in Europe, which are not only a place to worship but also a symbol of radicalisation, some financed by extreme groups in Saudi Arabia or Iran," Mr Dewinter explained, citing a large new mosque being built in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam. "Its minarets are six floors high, higher than the illuminations of the Feyenoord soccer stadium!" he cried. "These kinds of symbols have to stop."

However, it is unclear how the group plans to tackle perceived threats such as the teaching of the Koran, apart from holding rallies in European cities with high immigrant populations.

No support
Aside from Austria's Freedom Party (FPö), there was a notable absence of other political heavyweights during the press conference in the Flemish city of Antwerp. A spokesman for Italy's Allianza Nazionale said he was unaware of the Charter, though his party too was looking at the issue of the new mosques. Dutch right-wing maverick politician Geert Wilders, who is currently producing a film about the danger of the Koran, also stayed away.

But Mr Dewinter seems unruffled by the paltry political support: "This movement may be small today but I am convinced it will grow into something major."

Dismay
News of the Charter was greeted with dismay in Antwerp's Borgerhout, a multi-cultural neighbourhood counting over 90 nationalities.

"It's pure provocation," shrugged Said El Fetri, a Moroccan shopkeeper. "I have Belgians, East Europeans, Jews and Muslims coming in and out of my shop, there are no problems with integration here." Standing next to his counter of Halal meat, he added: "I am a Muslim but that doesn't mean that I don't live by the rules of this country."

However, another local shopkeeper, Mohammed, was gloomier: "I've lived here for almost 40 years. Me and my children are perfectly integrated but these kinds of campaigns worry me. In ten years' time, it won't be possible for us to live side by side like this anymore."

Preaching peace
Some worshippers coming out of prayer at Belgium's biggest mosque in Brussels, meanwhile, were alarmed that their place of worship was being singled out. "Mosques are places where we preach peace," said Fatimah, a student in her early twenties. "Everyone has the right to have a space to pray and be spiritual. Catholics have churches, Jews synagogues, we have mosques. This is what helps us feel part of this country, not separate from it."

Counter charter
Last week, the Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe (FIOE) launched its own Charter to promote better understanding of Islam in Europe. It was signed in Brussels by Muslim organisations from 28 European states with the aim to "enhance the values of mutual understanding, working for peace and the welfare of society, moderation and inter-cultural dialogue, removed from all inclinations of extremism and exclusion."

Geert Wilders is evil, and evil has to be stopped

2008-01-13T21:02:00.000+03:00

The welcome campaign launched by the prominent Christian Democrat and former trade unionist Doekle Terpstra against anti-Muslim racist Geert Wilders has been roundly denounced by the Right.

At Pipeline News Bella Rabinowitz (who finds it significant that the campaign is supported by "the ultra-left Amnesty International") denounces Terpstra's initiative as an attempt to deny freedom of speech to Geert Wilders and claims that "the assault on Wilders is reminiscent of the hysteria which led to the assassination of another Dutch politician, Pim Fortuyn".

Over at the Brussels Journal Thomas Landen opines: "Last month one of Holland’s most prestigious institutes, the University of Leiden, appointed the Islamist ideologue Tariq Ramadan to the post of professor of Islamology. Mr Ramadan is at least as controversial as Mr Wilders. One wonders why Mr Terpstra, contrary to Mr Wilders, did not oppose Mr Ramadan's appointment. Mr Terpstra did not make any effort to say 'Tariq Ramadan is evil, and has to be stopped'. Why has no-one heard him call upon his countrymen 'to rise in order to stop Ramadan'?"

سياسي هولندي متطرف يقرر عرض فيلم يسيء للقرآن الكريم

2008-01-13T20:44:00.000+03:00

محيط - وكالات

الزعيم اليميني الهولندي جيريت فيلدرز

في حلقة جديدة من مسلسل العنصرية المتنامية في الدول الأوروبية ضد الإسلام والمسلمين، فشلت الحكومة الهولندية في إقناع زعيم حزب الحرية المتطرف جيريت فيلدرز بالتراجع عن عزمه عرض فيلم مسيء لمشاعر المسلمين عن القرآن الكريم الذي يصفه بالكتاب الفاشي والمرعب.

وكان فيلدرز شبه في تصريحات سابقة له القرآن الكريم بـ"كتاب كفاحي فاشي" لهتلر، وذكر أن الأجدر بالمسلمين أن يتخلوا عنه، أو يحذفوا كل الآيات التي تحض على القتل والكراهية، "حتى يصبح كتيباً يشبه إلى حد ما قصص الأطفال"، على حد ما ورد في افتراءات هذا المتطرف الهولندي.

ويقول مراقبون إن الفيلم الذي ينتجه فيلدرز، سيكون تكملة لفيلم "الخضوع" الذي أخرجه المخرج السينمائي الهولندي ثيو فان خوخ ، والذي وردت فيه مشاهد أجساد نساء عاريات، كتبت عليها آيات قرآنية، وبعد عرضه في التلفزيون بثلاثة أشهر استطاع شاب مغربي يدعى محمد بوييري أن يقتله، وحكم على بوييري بالسجن المؤبد، لكنه تقبل الحكم بهدوء لأنه جاء نتيجة دفاعه عن الإسلام.

ونعود لقضية المتطرف فيلدرز، حيث قالت اللجنة الوطنية للدفاع عن حقوق المغاربة في هولندا إنها قررت استدعاء رؤساء الجمعيات والمنظمات ولجان المساجد المغربية وفعاليات سياسية وثقافية وإعلامية مغربية للاجتماع يوم 20 الشهر الحالي للنظر في التدابير التي يمكن اتخاذها لتفادي اندلاع حرب أهلية جديدة بين المغاربة والمسلمين من جهة والهولنديين من جهة أخرى بسبب قرار فيلدرز

وقال جمال الدين العارف العضو المسؤول في اللجنة المذكورة في تصريح لجريدة "الخليج" الاماراتية، إنه يهيب بمنظمات حقوق الإنسان المغربية والعربية والنادي الدبلوماسي العربي في لاهاي ومنظمة المؤتمر الإسلامي للتحرك من اجل الضغط على الحكومة الهولندية، لإجبار فيلدرز على التراجع عن قراره، وأوضح أن هذه المبادرة جاءت للحيلولة من دون وقوع ردود أفعال غير مسؤولة قد تضر بالجالية المغربية والمسلمة في هولندا.

وأضاف أن اللجنة أخذت على عاتقها مسؤولية الدفاع عن حقوق المغاربة وهي مستعدة لمواجهة اطروحات اليمين المتطرف الاستفزازية، والتي سيكون لها انعكاسات سلبية على الجالية المغربية والمسلمة وعلى المصالح الهولندية في الخارج.

ونظراً لأن الدستور الهولندي يعتبر حرية التعبير مقدسة، عجزت الحكومة الهولندية عن إقناعه بالتراجع في محاولات سابقة، كما أن أغلبية الشعب الهولندي ترفض عرض الفيلم، وترى أن نتائجه ستكون كارثية على المجتمع الهولندي والمصالح الهولندية في الخارج.

وترى اللجنة الوطنية للدفاع عن حقوق المغاربة التي تضم شخصيات مغربية مهمة على الساحة الهولندية أن مثل هذه الاستفزازات لا تخدم السلم والتعايش، وإنما تغذي نيران التطرف لدى المتعصبين بالدين، واليمينيين الهولنديين الجدد.

يذكر ان عددا من الدول الاوروبية شهد خلال العام الماضي حملة عنصرية شرسة ضد الإسلام والمسلمين، روج لها عدد من المنظمات والهيئات المعادية للإسلام ووصل الأمر ببعضها إلى المطالبة بتصريح رسمي للتظاهر ضد ما يعتبرونه "الخطر الاسلامي" في أوروبا، داعين إلى طرد المسلمين ايا كانت جنسياتهم من القارة العجوز.

تصريحات المتطرف فيلدرز

دأب زعيم حزب الحرية الهولندي اليميني المتطرف خيرت فيلدرز على مهاجمة الإسلام والمسلمين، حيق قال في تصريحات نشرت له مؤخرا: إن "الإسلام لا يستحق الاحترام، بل تجب محاربته بوصفه إيديولوجية فاشية غير متسامحة"، على حد زعمه، منتقدا البيان الذي يدعو إلى احترام المسلمين والتسامح معهم، الذي وقعه عدد من الشخصيات الهولندية البارزة، ونشر الاسبوع الماضي في صحيفة (تليخراف) الهولندية، واصفا إياه بـ "عمل حمقى سذج"، كما انتقد غير المسلمين الذين يتعاطفون مع المسلمين ويقدمون مصالحهم.

كما لم يسلم النبي عليه السلام من لسان هذا السياسي الهولندي الموتور، حيث وصفه عليه السلام بـ "الرجل الفظيع"، وتمنى لو يرمي بكتاب الله العزيز في القمامة، على حد ما ورد في بعض التصريحات الكثيرة المسيئة التي تبرز أحقاد هذا السياسي الهولندي تجاه الإسلام والمسلمين.

وكان فيلدرز قد طالب بإصدار قرار حكومي بحظر القرآن الكريم ومصادرة تداوله أو بيع المصاحف على الأراضي الهولندية. وقال "إن هذا الكتاب (المصحف الشريف) كان يجب حظر تداوله أو ترويجه في هولندا منذ انتهاء الحرب العالمية الثانية، لأنه كتاب فاشي ذو تعاليم فاشية".

وتمادى فيلدرز في تطرفه قائلا "يجب منع تداول القرآن أو قراءته في المساجد والمنازل، ومن يضبط بحوزته القرآن يجب أن تتم معاقبته، فمصادرته ستكون علامة وإشارة هولندية لرفض العنف بين المسلمين".

ردود الافعال على تصريحات فيلدرز

أثارت تصريحات فيلدرز عاصفة احتجاجات من مسلمي هولندا، فقد طالب المجلس الإسلامي في هولندا الذي يضم أكثر من 40 مؤسسة إسلامية، فيلدرز بإجراء حوار مع أعضاء المجلس حول الإسلام، لإزالة المخاوف منه وتوضيح الشريعة على حقيقتها.

ونقلت جريدة "الوطن" السعودية عن بيان المجلس قوله "قد نتفهم تخوف المنتمين لحزب الحرية من الإسلام لعدم وضوحه أمامهم، ولكن لا يجب على فيلدرز مؤاخذة القرآن بما ترتكبه قلة من العنف ولا يجب اعتباره يدعو للعنف"، مشيرا إلى أنه سبق وأن دعا المجلس الإسلامي والمؤسسات الإسلامية فيلدرز للحوار وتوضيح الرؤيا حول الإسلام، لكنه لم يستجب لهذه الدعوات.

كما ندد أئمة المساجد في هولندا بتصريحات فيلدرز، واعتبروها غير مسؤولة ولا تمثل الحكومة أو الشعب الهولندي، وبادر الأئمة بمطالبة المسلمين بالتروي والهدوء، وإثبات رغبتهم في التعايش السلمي على الأراضي الهولندية.

إلى ذلك، رفض 75% من الهولنديين مطلب فيلدرز بحظر القرآن في الأراضي الهولندية ومصادرة نسخ المصحف ومعاقبة من يتداولها، وقالوا في استطلاع للرأي أجرته إذاعة هولندا، وأذيعت نتائجه أمس إنه ليس من حق فيلدرز المطالبة بذلك أو نشر هذا الرأى بالإعلام الهولندي.

ولم يدعم مطلب فيلدرز وتوجهاته المعادية للإسلام سوى 19 % فقط، فيما طالب 31% ممن أجري عليهم استطلاع الرأي، الصحف والإعلام بعدم نشر مثل هذه المطالب مجددا. كما طالب 29% من الهولنديين في الاستطلاع بضرورة تتبع أو ملاحقة فيلدرز قانونيا، لأن ما قاله يعد نشرا للكراهية والعداء داخل المجتمع الهولندي.

هولندا ومواجهة العنصرية ضد المسلمين

2008-01-13T20:36:00.000+03:00

عادة ما يأتي خطاب ملكة هولندا في كل عام, وتحديدًا في خلال ما يسمى بأعياد الميلاد, في جو من الاحتفالات، ما يعتبره البعض فرصة للتلهّي واللهو وهدايا الميلاد، ففي مثل هذه المناسبات ينسى الهولنديون كل همومهم ليرتاحوا من رتابة العمل إلى المتعة بعد سنة صاخبة، فسياسيًا شغل الحديث عن الإرهاب عالم الإعلام والسياسة وبدا الوضع في هولندا مشحونًا ضد الأجانب، وخاصة المسلمين منهم، وتتالت القوانين والتشريعات التي تحد من حرية الفرد وحقوقه تحت غطاء محاربة ما يسمى بالإرهاب والأصولية.
وجاء خطاب الملكة الموسمي الوحيد خلال نهاية هذه السنة -حسب الدستور الهولندي- على أن لا يتطرق إلى الحياة السياسية، إلا أن خطابها هذه المرة تضمن فقرات سياسية واضحة، حيث أكدت على احترام الأقليات واحترام العقائد وثقافات الآخرين، ووجهت نداءً من أجل التسامح والسلام، مؤكدة على رفض ونبذ العنف اللفظي والفعلي اللذين يمسان من تقاليد هولندا الديمقراطية ويهددان السلم الاجتماعي، في إشارة نقد واضحة "لخيرت فيلدرس" وحزبه الذي انتهج مواقف حادة ومستفزة تجاه الأقلية المسلمة، عندما اعتبر الوجود الإسلامي "تسونامي" يضرب هولندا وأوروبا، وطالب المسلمين بالتخلي عن نصف القرآن الكريم؛ لكي يستطيعوا العيش في هولندا، وطالب بحظر تداول المصحف الشريف حتى في المساجد والدوائر الدينية.. وأنتج فيلمًا تلفزيونيًا مستفزًا حول القرآن الكريم، يتوقع عرضه في غضون أشهر، في قنوات تلفزيونية هولندية عامة وخاصة وعلى "الانترنت".
ويعتبر هذا الفيلم تتمة لفيلم "الخضوع" الذي صدر العام 2004 للمخرج السينمائي "ثيو فان خوخ"، والكاتبة البرلمانية السابقة "أيان هرسي علي" التي اتهمت الإسلام بأنه يحض على العنف ضد المرأة. وتطرق الفيلم لسوء معاملة النساء في الإسلام، وبين مشاهد أجساد نساء عاريات كتبت عليها آيات قرآنية، وبعد ثلاثة أشهر من عرض الفيلم، اغتيل "ثيو فان خوخ" على يد شاب مغربي، وتلت هذه الحادثة ردود أفعال كثيرة، تفاقم الوضع الأمني على إثرها، وسجلت أكثر من مائتي حادثة ضد المسلمين، تنوعت بين الشتم في الطريق العام والاعتداء على المحجبات وإحراق المساجد والمدارس والمؤسسات الإسلامية.
إلا أن "فلدرس" هذه المرة، انتقد خطاب الملكة الأخير الخاص بأعياد الميلاد، لتضمنه محتوى سياسي موجه ضد حزبه، واعتبر الملكة شخص لم يُختر ولا يمكن محاسبته سياسيًا، ولذلك طالب بتعديل الدستور ليضع حدًا لتدخل الملكة في الحياة السياسية وعزلها عن شئون الحكومة.
وقد أثار "فلدرس" بهذا الموقف، استياء الأحزاب والتيارات الأخرى الليبرالية واليمينية. ومن جانبه قال رئيس الحكومة "بلكننده": إنه موافق على ما جاء في خطاب الملكة وسيدافع عنه، واتهم "فيلدرس" بالعمل لغير مصالح هولندا الداخلية والخارجية..
ومن هنا فقد جاء خطاب الملكة أشبه بـ"تسونامي"، مضاد لما يدعيه دعاة الديمقراطية في هولندا، وكان كذالك مضادًا، في الوقت نفسه، لمحاولات "لثني فلدرس"وأمثاله عن الإساءة إلى الإسلام، بكتابات وأعمال فنية مستفزة، ومتزامنًا في الوقت نفسه مع تحذير الاستخبارات الهولندية من تدهور أمني في البلاد، بعد رصد تحركات غاضبة من جمعيات ومراكز ومؤسسات إسلامية تدعو إلى الاحتجاج ضد عرض "الفيلم" المشار إليه، الذي يعد انتهاكًا ضد حقوق المواطنة لأكثر من مليون مواطن مسلم هولندي، بل ويهين أكثر من مليار مسلم في العالم.

THE NETHERLANDS: Preview of Wilders' movie?

2008-01-10T14:10:00.000+03:00

Geert Wilders' movie - Forbidden (Sneak preview) which is denied by Wilders to be his, Wilders' movie will be worse then this one. Right now Wilders is in Israel.

Netherlands: Geert Wilders ‘politician of the year’

2008-01-02T10:28:00.000+03:00

Anti-Islamic outsider is top Dutch politician

By Michael Steen in Amsterdam

Geert Wilders, who compares the Koran to Mein Kampf, has been named the Netherlands’ politician of the year in a poll run by public broadcaster NOS.
Mr Wilders’ pithy and shocking soundbites – he warned of a “tsunami of Islamisation” – have dominated headlines, while his parliamentary outbursts have brought an adversarial style of politics to the muted consensus to which the Dutch are attuned.

His latest project, a short film about the Koran that will be released next month, has stirred anger even before much is known about it. Mr Wilders, who has had round-the-clock protection for three years due to the death threats against him, says the film will illustrate how the Koran inspires people “to do the worst things”.

* Creeps: why don’t you want to know?

He has called for the Koran to be banned. “With this film I’m trying to show not only in words but also images exactly what I mean,” he says.

Mindful of the backlash provoked by the publication in Danish newspapers in 2005 of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, government ministers have expressed concern but said there is not much they can do. Some public figures outside parliament have called for a movement against Mr Wilders.

* Transalation: cowardly leftist scum who ride on the Muhammedan ticket want Wilders silenced, therefore they are shitting themselves over a guy who has balls…

*
The murders in 2002 of Pim Fortuyn, a pioneer of Dutch anti-immigration and anti-Islam politics, and in 2005 of Theo van Gogh, the director of a film critical of Islam, have pushed immigration and the failure to integrate large Muslim communities to the top of the Dutch political agenda.

Mr Wilders’ proposed solutions are deeply radical: stop all Muslim immigration, ban the building of mosques and ask the 1m Muslims among the Dutch population of 16m to “go to their own countries” or give up their religion.
* Since when is self-preservation ‘radical?’

*
He remains a highly controversial outsider and – many Dutch Muslims and non-Muslims alike would rather not discuss him. But his Party for Freedom, the PVV, won nine of 150 seats in parliament in the last election and it regularly polls above that level.

Mr Wilders has spent a career in public service and sat as an MP for the mainstream Liberal party, the VVD, for five years before breaking away in 2004. He has always demonstrated a feel for the popular mood. He was among those who campaigned for the surprise Dutch No vote against the European constitution in 2005. “Wilders knows his way around the parliament and he’s good at the work,” says Luuk van Middelaar, the Dutch political philosopher who worked alongside him as a political adviser to the Liberal party.

That is perhaps one advantage Mr Wilders has over politicians such as Christoph Blocher, who was ejected from Switzerland’s government this month, or parties such as the far-right Vlaams Belang in Belgium, subject to a long-standing “cordon sanitaire” by the other parties.

The NOS poll naming him politician of the year combined votes from the public and those of the parliamentary press corps. Mr Wilders, who denies being racist, usually says the press is biased against him.

* Once again: repeat after me: Islam is not a race, Islam is a political ideology, Islam is a totalitarian doctrine that wants you conquered, dead or forcibly converted…
The film project prompted Doekle Terpstra, a former trades unionist, to call for the movement against Mr Wilders. “It is time to send a powerful signal to all the Muslims in our country,” Mr Terpstra wrote. “The sound of Wilders is not the sound of the Netherlands.”

*

* We shall see, Mr Terpstra. We shall see. Perhaps the sound of squeaking traitors like you running the gauntlet is more pleasing to your ears?
*

Verdonk thinks movement against Wilders is ridiculous

2007-12-04T17:40:00.000+03:00

DEN HAAG- MP Rita Verdonk*, says the counter movement, which some prominent Dutch personalities want to create against PVV leader Geert Wilders is "a ridiculous idea". Verdonk pointed out Tuesday that Wilders is supported by approximately 600,000 Dutch people and that he has every right to proclaim his ideas (racist fight against Islam).

Verdonk believes that the parliament should have more substantive discussions with Wilders. […]

(Source: De Telegraaf in Dutch)

* Verdonck was the previous Dutch Minister for the integration of minorities. She is known for her extreme and populist ideas about minorities and Muslims. No wonder she is supporting the extremist Wilders in his war against Islam.

Front against Wilders on the rise

2007-12-03T23:53:00.000+03:00

THE HAGUE – The "reasonable people" of the Netherlands are starting a movement against the standpoints of Geert Wilders, the Volkskrant reports. René Danen of the anti-racist organisation Nederland Bekent Kleur and Mohamed Sini of the Islam and Citizenship foundation hope to be able to put together a broad countermovement in the coming weeks.

The Refugee Council of the Netherlands also supports the call from Doekle Terpstra, former trade union leader and chairman of the HBO Council for universities of applied science. Terpstra said in Trouw last week that he was annoyed at Wilders' actions and his statements about Islam as a fascist religion. He talks about the "Wilderisation of society" and "Wilders' evil message."

"I feel more and more provoked by the constant insults towards Muslims," Terpstra says. "Wilders abuses his position and freedom of speech as an alibi to bait society and create rifts." He also says: "Am I the only one who is angry and concerned? Unions, employers, Muslims, churches, humanists unite, join forces and turn the tide."

"That is what we want to do now," says Danen. There are no concrete plans yet, but one aim is to organise a demonstration around the time that Wilders' much talked about film on Islam is to be shown, sometime in January.
Danen says that is feasible. As leader of a student union and more recently the protest platform Keer het Tij (Turn the tide), which opposed the social-economic measures of the last centre-right governments, he has plenty of experience in organising large scale protest.

"We mainly want the silent majority, which has always been against Wilders, to start a dialogue with the neighbour who does vote for the PVV." Politicians should also put up more active resistance to Wilders, Danen says. "They have been silent for too long."

In a reaction Wilders said Terpstra's comments were "outright disgusting." He pointed out that his party had the democratic support of a half million voters. Nor is he happy to be associated with something like "an evil message." It is a small step from that to calling for violence against his person, Wilders said.

Both Danen and Terpstra stress that their call is against the ideas of the PVV, and not against Wilders as a person. They say they have been flooded with positive reactions from people who want to participate in protest actions.

(Source: Expatica)

London mayor calls for co-operation with Muslim community

2007-12-03T22:12:00.000+03:00

LONDON - A new survey released today by the Greater London Authority confirms that London's Muslim communities share common values and concerns with the wider community, repudiating the image of conflicting values portrayed by certain sections of the media.

This shows the importance of working with the Muslim community and its leadership in the struggle against criminality – including terrorism.

IPSOS-MORI carried out a poll of attitudes among Muslims in London compared to the views of all Londoners.

Nearly all Muslim Londoners surveyed - 96 per cent - think that everyone should respect the law in Britain, virtually the same as the number of Londoners as a whole at 97 per cent.

The overwhelming majority of Muslims polled, 89 per cent, believe that everyone in Britain should be free to live their lives as they want so long as they do not prevent others from doing the same – again virtually identical to Londoners as a whole, where the figure was 88 per cent.

The overwhelming majority of Muslim respondents – 94 per cent – also believe that everyone in Britain should have equal opportunities, as does 92 per cent of Londoners as a whole.

Almost nine out of ten Londoners and Muslims, 90 per cent and 88 per cent respectively, agree that people should have a voice in politics through democracy, which is being realised as Muslims are having an increased involvement in the political process in London.

86 per cent of Muslims also think it is important that the Metropolitan Police work closely with communities such as the Muslim community to deter terrorist attacks, compared to 91 per cent of all Londoners.

The survey also reveals that Muslims have similar concerns to other Londoners regarding crime, clean streets and public transport and it indicates clear commitment to life in the capital.

Strong identification with respondents' local area is high across all groups. Nearly three quarters, 74 per cent of Muslims and are proud of their local area compared to 70 per cent of Londoners as whole.

The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: “There has been much discussion about how to engage politically and socially with the Muslim community, but this survey shows that the vast majority of Muslims hold views in common with the rest of London about respect for the law, the value of democracy, the importance of mutual respect and equal opportunites, and debunking myths that are so readily perpetuated by some commentators and in certain sections of the media. The view that the Muslim community as a whole holds fundamentally different views to the rest of Londoners is shown by these figures to be totally untrue. That is why those who attempt to demonise the Muslim community do great damage. It is, on the contrary, necessary to work with the overwhelming majority of the Muslim community to isolate the small number of dangerous people. Co-operation with the Muslim community is vital for the intelligence the police need to safeguard terrorists who kille Muslims just as much as other Londoners.”

The survey shows that Muslims in London want a society based on mutual respect for different beliefs as much as other Londoners. More than three fifths of Muslims believe it is important to have the freedom to say what they believe is true (84 per cent of Muslims and 88 per cent of Londoners as a whole). Furthermore, 95 per cent of Muslims think everyone should be free to practise their religion openly, compared to 86 per cent of the public.

The Mayor added: 'One in twelve Londoners is Muslim and London's Muslim communities, in all their diversity, play an essential part in the life of our city, contributing to its success as a global city. These findings show that Muslim Londoners whilst valuing their faith, share the same values as other Londoners. I will continue to work to increase understanding combat some of the ignorance, prejudice and Islamaphobia stirred up by some sections of the media which is deeply dangerous to Londoners.'

(Source: Middle East Online)

Christian leaders ask Muslims for forgiveness

2007-12-03T22:04:00.000+03:00

Christian figures respond to letter from 138 Muslim scholars that called for 'common word' between Muslims, Christians.

LONDON - In response to a letter from 138 Muslim scholars entitled 'A Common Word Between Us and You' which highlighted the existence of a common ground between Christianity and Islam, members of the worldwide Christian community wrote their own letter, acknowledging that in the past (e.g. in the Crusades) and in the present (e.g. in excesses of the 'war on terror') many Christians have been guilty of sinning against Muslims.

The full text of the letter:

As members of the worldwide Christian community, we were deeply encouraged and challenged by the recent historic open letter signed by 138 leading Muslim scholars, clerics, and intellectuals from around the world. A Common Word Between Us and You identifies some core common ground between Christianity and Islam which lies at the heart of our respective faiths as well as at the heart of the most ancient Abrahamic faith, Judaism. Jesus Christ's call to love God and neighbor was rooted in the divine revelation to the people of Israel embodied in the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). We receive the open letter as a Muslim hand of conviviality and cooperation extended to Christians worldwide. In this response we extend our own Christian hand in return, so that together with all other human beings we may live in peace and justice as we seek to love God and our neighbors.

Muslims and Christians have not always shaken hands in friendship; their relations have sometimes been tense, even characterized by outright hostility. Since Jesus Christ says, 'First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye' (Matthew 7:5), we want to begin by acknowledging that in the past (e.g. in the Crusades) and in the present (e.g. in excesses of the 'war on terror') many Christians have been guilty of sinning against our Muslim neighbors. Before we 'shake your hand' in responding to your letter, we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world.

Religious Peace-World Peace 'Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world's population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world.' We share the sentiment of the Muslim signatories expressed in these opening lines of their open letter. Peaceful relations between Muslims and Christians stand as one of the central challenges of this century, and perhaps of the whole present epoch. Though tensions, conflicts, and even wars in which Christians and Muslims stand against each other are not primarily religious in character, they possess an undeniable religious dimension. If we can achieve religious peace between these two religious communities, peace in the world will clearly be easier to attain. It is therefore no exaggeration to say, as you have in A Common Word Between Us and You, that 'the future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.' Common Ground What is so extraordinary about A Common Word Between Us and You is not that its signatories recognize the critical character of the present moment in relations between Muslims and Christians. It is rather a deep insight and courage with which they have identified the common ground between the Muslim and Christian religious communities.

What is common between us lies not in something marginal nor in something merely important to each. It lies, rather, in something absolutely central to both: love of God and love of neighbor.

Surprisingly for many Christians, your letter considers the dual command of love to be the foundational principle not just of the Christian faith, but of Islam as well. That so much common ground exists-common ground in some of the fundamentals of faith-gives hope that undeniable differences and even the very real external pressures that bear down upon us can not overshadow the common ground upon which we stand together. That this common ground consists in love of God and of neighbor gives hope that deep cooperation between us can be a hallmark of the relations between our two communities.

Love of God We applaud that A Common Word Between Us and You stresses so insistently the unique devotion to one God, indeed the love of God, as the primary duty of every believer. God alone rightly commands our ultimate allegiance. When anyone or anything besides God commands our ultimate allegiance-a ruler, a nation, economic progress, or anything else-we end up serving idols and inevitably get mired in deep and deadly conflicts. We find it equally heartening that the God whom we should love above all things is described as being Love. In the Muslim tradition, God, 'the Lord of the worlds,' is 'The Infinitely Good and All-Merciful.' And the New Testament states clearly that 'God is love' (1 John 4:8). Since God's goodness is infinite and not bound by anything, God 'makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous,' according to the words of Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospel (Matthew 5:45). For Christians, humanity's love of God and God's love of humanity are intimately linked. As we read in the New Testament: 'We love because he [God] first loved us' (1 John 4:19). Our love of God springs from and is nourished by God's love for us. It cannot be otherwise, since the Creator who has power over all things is infinitely good. Love of Neighbor We find deep affinities with our own Christian faith when A Common Word Between Us and You insists that love is the pinnacle of our duties toward our neighbors. 'None of you has faith until you love for your neighbor what you love for yourself,' the Prophet Muhammad said. In the New Testament we similarly read, 'whoever does not love [the neighbor] does not know God' (1 John 4:8) and 'whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen' (1 John 4:20). God is love, and our highest calling as human beings is to imitate the One whom we worship. We applaud when you state that 'justice and freedom of religion are a crucial part' of the love of neighbor. When justice is lacking, neither love of God nor love of the neighbor can be present. When freedom to worship God according to one's conscience is curtailed, God is dishonored, the neighbor oppressed, and neither God nor neighbor is loved. Since Muslims seek to love their Christian neighbors, they are not against them, the document encouragingly states. Instead, Muslims are with them. As Christians we resonate deeply with this sentiment. Our faith teaches that we must be with our neighbors-indeed, that we must act in their favor-even when our neighbors turn out to be our enemies. 'But I say unto you,' says Jesus Christ, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good' (Matthew 5:44-45). Our love, Jesus Christ says, must imitate the love of the infinitely good Creator; our love must be as unconditional as is God's-extending to brothers, sisters, neighbors, and even enemies. At the end of his life, Jesus Christ himself prayed for his enemies: 'Forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing' (Luke 23:34).

The Prophet Muhammad did similarly when he was violently rejected and stoned by the people of Ta'if. He is known to have said, 'The most virtuous behavior is to engage those who sever relations, to give to those who withhold from you, and to forgive those who wrong you.' (It is perhaps significant that after the Prophet Muhammad was driven out of Ta'if, it was the Christian slave 'Addas who went out to Muhammad, brought him food, kissed him, and embraced him.) The Task Before Us 'Let this common ground'-the dual common ground of love of God and of neighbor-'be the basis of all future interfaith dialogue between us,' your courageous letter urges. Indeed, in the generosity with which the letter is written you embody what you call for. We most heartily agree. Abandoning all 'hatred and strife,' we must engage in interfaith dialogue as those who seek each other's good, for the one God unceasingly seeks our good. Indeed, together with you we believe that we need to move beyond 'a polite ecumenical dialogue between selected religious leaders' and work diligently together to reshape relations between our communities and our nations so that they genuinely reflect our common love for God and for one another. Given the deep fissures in the relations between Christians and Muslims today, the task before us is daunting. And the stakes are great. The future of the world depends on our ability as Christians and Muslims to live together in peace. If we fail to make every effort to make peace and come together in harmony you correctly remind us that 'our eternal souls' are at stake as well.

We are persuaded that our next step should be for our leaders at every level to meet together and begin the earnest work of determining how God would have us fulfill the requirement that we love God and one another. It is with humility and hope that we receive your generous letter, and we commit ourselves to labor together in heart, soul, mind and strength for the objectives you so appropriately propose.

Signatories:

*Harold W. Attridge, Dean and Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, Yale Divinity School *Joseph Cumming, Director of the Reconciliation Program, Yale Center for Faith and Culture, Yale Divinity School *Emilie M. Townes, Andrew Mellon Professor of African American Religion and Theology, Yale Divinity School, and President-elect of the American Academy of Religion *Miroslav Volf, Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology, Yale Divinity School Martin Accad, Academic Dean, Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (Lebanon) Scott C. Alexander, Director, Catholic-Muslim Studies, Catholic Theological Union Roger Allen, Chair, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals Ray Bakke, Convening Chair, Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding Camillo Ballin, Bishop, Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait (Roman Catholic) Barry Beisner, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Northern California Federico Bertuzzi, President, PM Internacional, Latin America James A. Beverley, Tyndale Seminary, Canada Jonathan Bonk, Executive Director, Overseas Ministries Study Center Gerhard B?wering, Yale University Joseph Britton, Dean, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale John M. Buchanan, Editor/Publisher, The Christian Century Joe Goodwin Burnett, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska Samuel G. Candler, Dean, Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta Juan Carlos C?rdenas, Instituto Iberoamericano de Estudios Transculturales, Spain Joseph Castleberry, President, Northwest University Colin Chapman, Author David Yonggi Cho, Founder and Senior Pastor, Yoido Full Gospel Church, Seoul, Korea Richard Cizik, Vice President, National Association of Evangelicals Corneliu Constantineanu, Dean, Evangelical Theological Seminary, Croatia Robert E. Cooley, President Emeritus, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Harvey Cox, Harvard Divinity School John D'Alton, President, Melbourne Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Australia Andr? Delbecq, University of Santa Clara Keith DeRose, Yale University Andr?s Alonso Duncan, CEO, Latinoamerica Global, A.C. Diana L. Eck, Harvard University Bertil Ekstrom, Executive Director, Mission Commission, World Evangelical Alliance Mark U. Edwards, Jr., Senior Advisor to the Dean, Harvard Divinity School John Esposito, Director Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University David Ford, Regius Professor of Divinity, Cambridge University Timothy George, Dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University Roberto S. Goizueta, Boston College Bruce Gordon, University of St. Andrews William A. Graham, Dean, Harvard Divinity School Lynn Green, International Chairman, YWAM Frank Griffel, Yale University Edwin F. Gulick, Jr., Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky David P. Gushee, President, Evangelicals for Human Rights Kim B. Gustafson, President, Common Ground Elie Haddad, Provost, Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, Lebanon L. Ann Hallisey, Hallisey Consulting and Counseling Paul D. Hanson, Harvard Divinity School Heidi Hadsell, President, Hartford Seminary David Heim, Executive Editor, The Christian Century Norman A. Hjelm, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, retired Carl R. Holladay, Candler School of Theology, Emory University Joseph Hough, President, Union Theological Seminary, NY Bill Hybels, Founder and Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church Nabeel T. Jabbour, Consultant, Professor, Colorado Shannon Sherwood Johnston, Bishop Coadjutor, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia David Colin Jones, Bishop Suffragan, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia Stanton L. Jones, Provost, Wheaton College, IL Tony Jones, National Coordinator, Emergent Village Riad A. Kassis, Theologian, Author, Consultant Paul Knitter, Union Theological Seminary, NY Manfred W. Kohl, Vice President of Overseas Council International, USA James A. Kowalski, Dean, Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, NY Sharon Kugler, University Chaplain, Yale University Peter Kuzmic, President, Evangelical Theological Faculty Osijek, Croatia Peter J. Lee, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia Linda LeSourd Lader, President, Renaissance Institute Tim Lewis, President, William Carey Int'l University John B.Lindner, Yale Divinity School Duane Litfin, President, Wheaton College Greg Livingstone, Founder, Frontiers Albert C. Lobe, Interim Executive Director, Mennonite Central Committee Rick Love, International Director, Frontiers Douglas Magnuson, Bethel University Peter Maiden, International Coordinator, OM Danut Manastireanu, World Vision International, Iasi, Romania Harold Masback, III, Senior Minister, The Congregational Church of New Canaan, New Canaan, CT Donald M. McCoid, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America C. Douglas McConnell, Dean, School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary Don McCurry, President, Ministries to Muslims Brian D. McLaren, Author, Speaker, Activist Kathleen E. McVey, Princeton Theological Seminary Judith Mendelsohn Rood, Biola University Steve Moore, President and CEO, The Mission Exchange (formerly EFMA) Douglas Morgan, Director, Adventist Peace Fellowship Richard Mouw, President, Fuller Theological Seminary Salim J. Munayer, Academic Dean, Bethlehem Bible College, Jerusalem Rich Nathan, Senior Pastor, Vineyard Church of Columbus David Neff, Editor in Chief and Vice-President, Christianity Today Media Group Alexander Negrov, President, St. Petersburg Christian University, Russia Richard R. Osmer, Princeton Theological Seminary George E. Packard, Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies of the Episcopal Church Greg H. Parsons, General Director, U.S. Center for World Mission Doug Pennoyer, Dean, School of Intercultural Studies, Biola University Douglas Petersen, Vanguard University of Southern California Sally Promey, Yale Divinity School Thomas P. Rausch, S.J., Loyola Marymount University David A. Reed, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto Neil Rees, International Director, World Horizons Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., Fuller Theological Seminary Leonard Rogers, Executive Director, Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding William L. Sachs, Director, Center for Reconciliation and Mission, Richmond Lamin Sanneh, Yale Divinity School Andrew Saperstein, Yale Center for Faith and Culture Robert Schuller, Founder, Crystal Cathedral and Hour of Power Elizabeth Sch?ssler Fiorenza, Harvard Divinity School Francis Sch?ssler Fiorenza, Harvard Divinity School William Schweiker, University of Chicago Donald Senior, C.P., President, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago C. L. Seow, Princeton Theological Seminary Imad Nicola Shehadeh, President, Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary David W. and K. Grace Shenk, Eastern Mennonite Missions Marguerite Shuster, Fuller Theological Seminary John G. Stackhouse, Jr., Regent College, Vancouver Glen Stassen, Fuller Theological Seminary Andrea Zaki Stephanous, Vice President, Protestant Church in Egypt Wilbur P. Stone, Bethel University, MN John Stott, Rector Emeritus, All Souls Church, London Frederick J. Streets, Yeshiva University William Taylor, Global Ambassador, World Evangelical Alliance John Thomas, President and General Minister, United Church of Christ Iain Torrance, President, Princeton Theological Seminary Michael W. Treneer, International President, The Navigators, CO Geoff Tunnicliffe, International Director, World Evangelical Alliance George Verwer, Founder and former International Director, OM Harold Vogelaar, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago Berten A. Waggoner, National Director, Association of Vineyard Churches Jim Wallis, President, Sojourners Rick Warren, Founder and Senior Pastor, Saddleback Church, and The Purpose Driven Life, Lake Forest, CA J. Dudley Woodberry, Dean Emeritus, Fuller School of International Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary Christopher J.H. Wright, International Director, Langham Partnership, London Robert R. Wilson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Yale Divinity School Nicholas Wolterstorff, University of Virginia Godfrey Yogarajah, General Secretary, Evangelical Fellowship in Asia Community Council of the Sisters of the Precious Blood, Dayton, OH.

(Source: Middle East Online)

Ehsan Jami works on film on Islam

2007-12-03T17:20:00.000+03:00

AMSTERDAM – Ehsan Jami, founder of the Committee for Former Muslims, has followed Ayaan Hirsi Ali's example and made a short film about radical Islam, the Telegraaf reports.

The film entitled The life of Mohammed should be ready in February or March of next year and will cause more of a commotion than the Danish cartoons of Mohammed, the former Labour PvdA member says.

"I show how violent and tyrannical Mohammed was. This man murdered three Jewish tribes, killed people who left the faith, and married a 6-year-old girl, with whom he had sex when she was 9," Jami says in comment on the contents of the 10-minute film.

The 'politician', who is still under heavy protection, says the film only shows the facts and does not aim to polarise the situation. "I will give EUR 50,000 to anyone who can refute these facts."

Jami says that the film "is a small step for a man, but a big step for humanity and freedom."
The television station that plans to broadcast the film will not be announced until the last moment. News programme Netwerk has had contact with Jami for some time and has shown interest. The programme will wait until the film is finished before deciding if and how to broadcast it however.

Jami says he has also had contact with CNN, which may decide to air highlights from the film.
Jami says it is a coincidence that Freedom Party PVV leader Geert Wilders is also working on a film on Islam at the moment.

(Source: Expatica)

'Defeat Islam' declares Hirsi Ali

2007-12-03T17:19:00.000+03:00

There's an interview with the Dutch-Somali 'wannabe' facist Ayaan Hirsi Ali in the November issue of Reason magazine. The following exchange takes place in response to Hirsi Ali's insistence on the need for Islam to be "defeated".

Hirsi Ali states that the West is at war with Islam, not with "terrorism", "Islamism", "radical Islam", or "Islamo-fascism":

Reason: The Polish Catholic Church helped defeat the [Wojciech] Jaruzelski puppet regime [1990]. Do you think Islam could bring about similar social and political changes?

Hirsi Ali: Only if Islam is defeated. Because right now, the political side of Islam, the power-hungry expansionist side of Islam, has become superior to the Sufis and the Ismailis and the peace-seeking Muslims.

Reason: Don't you mean defeating radical Islam?

Hirsi Ali: No. Islam, period. Once it's defeated, it can mutate into something peaceful. It's very difficult to even talk about peace now. They're not interested in peace.

Reason: We have to crush the world's 1.5 billion Muslims under our boot? In concrete terms, what does that mean, "defeat Islam"?

Hirsi Ali: I think that we are at war with Islam. And there's no middle ground in wars.

Nonetheless Hirsi Ali has no clear idea how a war with Islam might proceed. Again, from the Reason interview:

Hirsi Ali: Islam can be defeated in many ways. For starters, you stop the spread of the ideology itself; at present, there are native Westerners converting to Islam, and they're the most fanatical sometimes. There is infiltration of Islam in the schools and universities of the West. You stop that. You stop the symbol burning and the effigy burning, and you look them in the eye and flex your muscles and you say, "This is a warning. We won't accept this anymore." There comes a moment when you crush your enemy.

Reason: Militarily?

Hirsi Ali: In all forms, and if you don't do that, then you have to live with the consequence of being crushed.

Dutch MP ready to provoke Muslims again with a provocative anti-Islam film

2007-12-03T16:25:00.000+03:00

Amsterdam: A political storm is brewing over the proposed move of the Dutch Member of Parliament, Geert Wilders, to produce a 10-miniute TV movie highlighting what he calls the "fascist" aspects of the Koran which prompts Muslims to commit bad acts.

Wilders, a right-wing politico, has even compared the Holy Book of Muslims to Hitler's Mein Kampf.
Geert Wilders has been campaigning against Muslim migrants and the Koran. Highlighting "fascist passages" he argues that the Koran inspires people to commit bad acts.

The Dutch government fears a backlash but the Justice Ministry has refused to intervene on the grounds of his right to freedom of expression.
His first film, Submission, exposing abuse of Muslim women was directed by Theo van Gogh who was murdered in the streets of Amsterdam by a Muslim fundamentalist, Mohammed Bouyeri in 2004. After his throat was slit a message was written on his body warning the Muslim script writer, Ayaam Hirsh Ali, a Dutch Liberal MP. She is now under 24-hour police protection. His lagtest film is expected to be a sequel to Submission.

Wilders has been campaigning against Muslim migrants and the Koran. Highlighting "fascist passages" he argues that the Koran inspires people to commit bad acts. The anti-Muslim campaign of his Freedom Party won nine seats in the last election. Freedom Party is opposed to flooding the nation with Muslim migrants. Of the 16 million, one million consists of Muslims. With this film the intention is to keep the anti-Mulsim vote alive and kicking.

Wilders may have a problem of screening it as he has not yet found a slot in the national TV stations.
He has refused to reveal the contents of the film. He says: "Let the people go and see it."

(Source: Asian Tribune)

Prophet Muhammad and Ali portrayed as gays in The Netherlands

2007-12-03T16:07:00.000+03:00

Iranian born artist Sooreh Hera living in The Netherlands, has decided to expose ‘artistic’ pictures about homosexuality and Islam. She says it is frequent that married Muslim men have sexual relations with other men (she mentions specifically Iran and Saudi Arabia).

If you check out her pictures you'll see that homosexuality is a major part of her work.

When she invited two Iranian men to pose they asked to wear a mask in order not to be recognized. The masks she chose were the ones you see in the pictures below: Muhammad and his son-in-law, Ali.

She was going to be at The Hague Municipal Museum but she was denied because her exposition is too offending.

Sooreh Hera has also made a video: "Allah o gaybar". She put it up on Youtube but it was removed it as the movie has violated the terms of Youtube.

The Netherlands is since a couple of years a heaven for Islam haters. New politicians and artists discovered that if you offend Muslims, you will have a free huge attention which will boost your career and free security guards and a secured flat paid by the government in the Netherlands.

More informations about the so called 'artist' can be found on her website: http://www.soorehhera.com/

Wilders rallies against Islam in Dutch parliament

2007-12-02T23:49:00.000+03:00

This is the speech the Dutch Islam hater gave in the Dutch parliament on November 6:

Madam Speaker, allow me, first, to express my sincere thanks to you personally for having planned a debate on Islam on the very day of my birthday. I could not have wished for a nicer present!
Madam Speaker, approximately 1400 years ago war was declared on us by an ideology of hate and violence which arose at the time and was proclaimed by a barbarian who called himself the Prophet Mohammed. I am referring to Islam.

Madam Speaker, let me start with the foundation of the Islamic faith, the Koran. The Koran’s core theme is about the duty of all Muslims to fight non-Muslims; an Islamic Mein Kampf, in which fight means war, jihad. The Koran is above all a book of war – a call to butcher non-Muslims (2:191, 3:141, 4:91, 5:3), to roast them (4:56, 69:30-69:32), and to cause bloodbaths amongst them (47:4). Jews are compared to monkeys and pigs (2:65, 5:60, 7:166), while people who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God must according to the Koran be fought (9:30).

Madam Speaker, the West has no problems with Jews or Christians, but it does have problems with Islam. It is still possible, even today, for Muslims to view the Koran, which they regard as valid for all time, as a licence to kill. And that is exactly what happens. The Koran is worded in such a way that its instructions are addressed to Muslims for eternity, which includes today’s Muslims. This in contrast to texts in the Bible, which is formulated as a number of historical narratives, placing events in a distant past. Let us remind ourselves that it was Muslims, not Jews or Christians, who committed the catastrophic terrorist attacks in New York, Madrid and London; and that it was no coincidence that Theo van Gogh was brutally murdered by a Muslim, Mohammed Bouyeri.

Madam Speaker, I acknowledge that there are people who call themselves Muslims and who respect our laws. My party, the Freedom Party, has nothing against such people, of course. However, the Koran does have something against them. For it is stated in the Koran in Sura 2, verse 85, that those believers who do not believe in everything the Koran states will be humiliated and receive the severest punishment; which means that they will roast in Hell. In other words, people who call themselves Muslims but who do not believe, for example, in Sura 9, verse 30, which states that Jews and Christians must be fought, or, for example, in Sura 5, verse 38, which states that the hand of a thief must be cut off, such people will be humiliated and roast in Hell. Note that it is not me who is making this up. All this can be found in the Koran. The Koran also states that Muslims who believe in only part of the Koran are in fact apostates, and we know what has to happen to apostates. They have to be killed.

Madam Speaker, the Koran is a book that incites to violence. I remind the House that the distribution of such texts is unlawful according to Article 132 of our Penal Code. In addition, the Koran incites to hatred and calls for murder and mayhem. The distribution of such texts is made punishable by Article 137(e). The Koran is therefore a highly dangerous book; a book which is completely against our legal order and our democratic institutions. In this light, it is an absolute necessity that the Koran be banned for the defence and reinforcement of our civilisation and our constitutional state. I shall propose a second-reading motion to that effect.

Madam Speaker, there is no such thing as “moderate Islam”. As Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said the other day, and I quote, “There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that’s it”. Islam is in pursuit of dominance. It wishes to exact its imperialist agenda by force on a worldwide scale (8:39). This is clear from European history. Fortunately, the first Islamic invasion of Europe was stopped at Poitiers in 732; the second in Vienna in 1683. Madam Speaker, let us ensure that the third Islamic invasion, which is currently in full spate, will be stopped too in spite of its insidious nature and notwithstanding the fact that, in contrast to the 8th and 17th centuries, it has no need for an Islamic army because the scared “dhimmis” in the West, also those in Dutch politics, have left their doors wide open to Islam and Muslims.
Apart from conquest, Madam Speaker, Islam is also bent on installing a totally different form of law and order, namely Sharia law. This makes Islam, apart from a religion for hundreds of millions of Muslims also, and in particular, a political ideology (with political/constitutional/Islamic basic values, etc). Islam is an ideology without any respect for others; not for Christians, not for Jews, not for non‑believers and not for apostates. Islam aims to dominate, subject, kill and wage war.

Madam Speaker, the Islamic incursion must be stopped. Islam is the Trojan Horse in Europe. If we do not stop Islamification now, Eurabia and Netherabia will just be a matter of time. One century ago, there were approximately 50 Muslims in the Netherlands. Today, there are about 1 million Muslims in this country. Where will it end? We are heading for the end of European and Dutch civilisation as we know it. Where is our Prime Minister in all this? In reply to my questions in the House he said, without batting an eyelid, that there is no question of our country being Islamified. Now, this reply constituted a historical error as soon as it was uttered. Very many Dutch citizens, Madam Speaker, experience the presence of Islam around them. And I can report that they have had enough of burkas, headscarves, the ritual slaughter of animals, so‑called honour revenge, blaring minarets, female circumcision, hymen restoration operations, abuse of homosexuals, Turkish and Arabic on the buses and trains as well as on town hall leaflets, halal meat at grocery shops and department stores, Sharia exams, the Finance Minister’s Sharia mortgages, and the enormous overrepresentation of Muslims in the area of crime, including Moroccan street terrorists.
In spite of all this, Madam Speaker, there is hope. Fortunately. The majority of Dutch citizens have become fully aware of the danger, and regard Islam as a threat to our culture. My party, the Freedom Party, takes those citizens seriously and comes to their defence.
Many Dutch citizens are fed up to the back teeth and yearn for action. However, their representatives in The Hague are doing precisely nothing. They are held back by fear, political correctness or simply electoral motives. This is particularly clear in the case of PvdA, the Dutch Labour Party, which is afraid of losing Muslim voters. The Prime Minister said in Indonesia the other day that Islam does not pose any danger. Minister Donner believes that Sharia law should be capable of being introduced in the Netherlands if the majority want it. Minister Vogelaar babbles about the future Netherlands as a country with a Judeo‑Christian‑Islamic tradition, and that she aims to help Islam take root in Dutch society. In saying this, the Minister shows that she has obviously gone stark raving mad. She is betraying Dutch culture and insulting Dutch citizens. Madam Speaker, my party, the Freedom Party, demands that Minister Vogelaar retract her statement. If the Minister fails to do so, the Freedom Party parliamentary group will withdraw its support for her. No Islamic tradition must ever be established in the Netherlands: not now and also not in a few centuries’ time.
Madam Speaker, let me briefly touch on the government’s response to the WRR [Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy] report. On page 12 of its response, the government states that Islam is not contrary to democracy or human rights. All I can say to that is that things can’t get much more idiotic than this.

Madam Speaker, it is a few minutes to twelve. If we go on like this, Islam will herald the end of our Western civilisation as well as Dutch culture.
I would like to round off my first-reading contribution with a personal appeal to the Prime Minister on behalf of a great many Dutch citizens: stop the Islamification of the Netherlands!
Mr Balkenende, a historic task rests on your shoulders. Be courageous. Do what many Dutch citizens are screaming out for. Do what the country needs. Stop all immigration from Muslim countries, ban all building of new mosques, close all Islamic schools, ban burkas and the Koran. Expel all criminal Muslims from the country, including those Moroccan street terrorists that drive people mad. Accept your responsibility! Stop Islamification!
Enough is enough, Mr Balkenende. Enough is enough.