Anti-Islam Dutch Politician Stands Trial

October 4 2010 The trial for controversial politician Geert Wilders began in Amsterdam on Monday. Wilders is accused of inciting hatred against Muslims, Moroccans and non-Western immigrants through a number of actions, including statements likening the Quran to Mein Kampf. The opening days of the trial included controversy. Wilders’ lawyer challenged the legitimacy of the…

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Dutch party against transport to religious schools

Right wing party VVD wants to end travel allowances which enable parents to send their children to Reformed or Islamic religious schools outside of their home regions, Telegraaf reports. Parliamentarian Ineke Dezentje claims that municipalities should not be the ones paying for this transportation for religious reasons, suggesting that it comes at the expense of…

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    Dutch government recruitment campaign shows veiled woman

    A recruiting campaign by the Dutch government aimed at attracting young workers will picture a veiled Muslim woman with the slogan “working for the government, if you think ahead”. The image is juxtaposed with a photo of a woman with a lip piercing, alongside a series of other supposedly contrasting images including a construction site…

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    Dutch politician retracts statements critical of Islam

    The leader of the small Christian SGP party in the Netherlands, E. Klein, has taken back critical statements on Islam made during a meeting on freedom of education. Klein declared that he would rather see no mosques, and that “Islam has produced nothing good so far”. Under pressure from local conservative (VVD) and center-left (D66)…

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    Opposition to mosque subsidies fails

    An opposition movement against the Dutch cabinet’s support for mosques has failed. The Home Affairs Ministry and Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) assert that government subsidies for religious organizations are permissible on the basis that it fosters integration. The failed opposition bid was supported by the conservatives (VVD), Party for Freedom (PVV) and centre-left D66,…

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