17 June 2011 In a letter to the Dutch parliament, Interior Minister Piet Hein Donner has requested an end to government policies which target integrating ethnic migrant groups in the Netherlands. Radio Netherlands Worldwide reports the move is a part of the cabinet distancing itself from multicultural society as a concession to the Freedom Party…
23 June 2011 A hotly debated proposal in Dutch parliament to ban ritual slaughter has potentially reached a compromise. This compromise would allow ritual slaughter to continue under certain circumstances, and has the support of a slim majority of MPs. It would allow exceptions to the ban on slaughtering animals which have not been stunned…
June 9 2011 A proposed ban on ritual slaughter which currently had majority support in the Netherlands parliament is facing continued resistance. The ban targets the production of kosher and halal meat in the country. Members of the national Green Left (GroenLinks) are being asked to vote against the ban, while the VVD party…
May 16 2011 Ahmed Marcouch, and Amsterdam politician and MP, has been recognized for his role promoting gay rights in “making homosexuality a discussible subject among Muslim”. The jury awarding the homo-emancipation prize reported being “impressed by the courage and fortitude Mr. Marcouch showed in bringing what is for many a sensitive subject into the…
13 March 2011 Two of Switzerland’s largest Muslim federations have announced their plans to found a new religious organization with the goal of representing all Muslims in Switzerland. According to the president of the Federation of Swiss Islamic Organizations (FIDS) Hisham Maizar, the new organization is to be called the “Swiss Umma,” and will be…
