Dutch Queen Beatrix has dismissed as “nonsense” criticism of her decision to wear a head scarf during a recent visit to a mosque in the United Arab Emirates.
National broadcaster NOS reports that the queen’s unusually forthright comment came Thursday in Oman to Dutch reporters covering her state visit this week.
In the 1990s, the Netherlands was known for being extremely tolerant of foreign religions, says Frank Bovenkerk, emeritus professor at the University of Amsterdam (UVA).
“… until surveys suddenly showed considerable animosity towards Islam was developing. The researchers thought: ‘This kind of split with the past isn’t possible’. But it in fact was.”
Then came the attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States and the murder of Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh by an Islamic extremist in 2004. Dr Bovenkerk blames Dutch politicians for fanning the flames of hostility towards Muslims: “After Van Gogh’s murder, the then deputy prime minister, Gerrit Zalm, said that we were ‘now at war’.”
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, who is in Abu Dhabi, wore a headscarf when she visited the Sheikh Zayed Mosque this morning out of respect for the customs, traditions and conventions of Islam, says Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal. The queen is on a two-day state visit to the United Arab Emirates.
“Not to have worn one during a visit to a mosque wasn’t an option. In that case, the invitation to visit to the mosque, one of the most important in the United Arab Emirates, would’ve had to have been refused,” explained Mr Rosenthal.
His comments come in response to criticism from the Freedom Party (PVV) about the clothing worn by Queen Beatrix and Crown Princess Máxima who, with her husband Prince Willem-Alexander, is part of the royal party visiting the UAE. The PVV had complained that, by wearing a headscarf, the queen was lending legitimacy to the oppression of women under Islam.
Between 2005 and 2010 mosques in the Netherlands were defaced 117 times, according to research by social researcher Ineke van der Valk. The acts of vandalism were motivated by a hatred of Islam, the researcher is quoted as saying on VPRO radio programme Argos.
In 43 cases, the mosques were daubed with offensive symbols or slogans. In 37 instances, the mosques sustained material damage. In 99 of the incidents the police failed to find any of the culprits. In the United States there were 42 similar incidents during the same period. Most of the vandalised mosques in the Netherlands are located outside the major cities.
The Dutch Freedom Party, the Netherlands’s third largest political party, urged the Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministries last week to reconsider Turkey’s continued membership in NATO.
Geert Wilders, head of the party, and its Mideast expert, deputy Wim Kortenoeven, accused Turkey of abandoning its allies – Israel earlier this year, and now France.
The close relationship between the right-wing Liberal VVD and anti-Islam PVV in government is a cause for concern among many local VVD leaders and officials, the NRC reports on Thursday.
Almost half of local officials polled by the paper said the VVD should do more to emphasise the difference between the VVD and Geert Wilders’ party. And a majority want to form the next cabinet with the Liberal democrats D66 instead.
The PVV has an alliance with the current minority cabinet made up of the VVD and Christian Democrats.
The VVD holds its annual conference this weekend.
The Jerusalem Post has a report applauding the role of Geert Wilders’ party, the PVV, in encouraging the Dutch government to adopt an aggressive policy towards Iran.
The paper hails Wim Kortenoeven [pictured], the PVV MP who apparently played a leading role in drawing up a resolution calling for tougher sanctions against Iran, as “one of Europe’s most prominent advocates for Israel’s security”, and portrays Wilders’ party as an important ally of Israel:
Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders, a key ally for the ruling Liberal-Christian Democrat coalition, said on Saturday he opposed a planned visit by Turkish President Abdullah Gul because Turkey is an “Islamist regime”.
Right-wing populist politician Rita Verdonk is standing down as head of Trots op Nederland (proud of the Netherlands) the political party she founded in 2007, according to media reports on Friday.
TON number two Arthur van der Putte told the Volkskrant Verdonk is standing down. She had been due to announce her decision during a television current affairs show later on Friday evening.
Verdonk set up the party after losing the VVD leadership battle to Mark Rutte and being expelled from the right-wing Liberals. She lost her seat in parliament at the last general election but TON took around 50 seats in the most recent local elections.
Van der Putte said Verdonk had spoken to Geert Wilders, leader of the PVV, and was recommending remaining TON members and councillors switch to supporting the anti-Islam party.
Elsevier reports that two men have been arrested on suspicion of placing an imitation bomb at a mosque in the Dutch town of Almelo and have been charged with threatening behaviour. Police have not ruled out further arrests.