Dutch news site AD has removed an image of the Vilks cartoon after using it to illustrate a story on the plot to murder the Swedish cartoonist. Acting editor Bart Verkade notes that the site received many offended responses, including an email campaign organized by the As-Soenna mosque in The Hague. In covering the story…
News coverage of local elections in the Netherlands focuses on the gains made by right wing Freedom (PVV) Party. Led by controversial politician Geert Wilders, who is currently on trial for inciting hatred against Muslims, the party operates on an anti-immigration platform. It made major gains in the only two cities where it ran candidates,…
Right wing PVV (Freedom) Party leader Geert Wilders announced that a ban on headscarves for city council workers and in all institutions and clubs receiving local authority support will form the basis of negotiations during governing coalition talks in the upcoming months. Wilders made the comments during a lengthy speech in Almere, one of the…
A book presentation planned at a conference center in The Hague has been cancelled due to the security concerns of the venue manager. The book, entitled Islam-phobia?, is written by Islam critic and PVV follower Frans Groenendijk. Organizer Michiel Middendorf explained that the center had not received any threats, but claims “We made this decision…
The Hague city council has filed charges in 49 cases of alleged physically punishment of children during Koran lessons, Volkskrant reports. Investigations were launched after sources from within the Moroccan community told officials that children have been beaten, and routine health checks for 10 year olds revealed bruising among the students. The Hague’s city government…
