THE HAGUE, 12/11/05 - If Muslims have opinions that do not fit in with the Dutch culture, they should be morally excluded from the society, in the view of Liveable Rotterdam (LR) Alderwoman Marianne van den Anker. This would make it clear that their views are not valid in the Netherlands, she said in Trouw newspaper Friday.
Muslims who forbid their wives to take Dutch lessons or force their daughters to marry someone do not belong on moral grounds in the Netherlands, according to Van den Anker. Government and citizens must let these Muslims know that they are 'morally excluded.' Van den Anker does not want to attach sanctions to the moral exclusions.
Last Tuesday, LR Alderman Marco Pastors (Physical infrastructure) had to resign because he made critical remarks about Muslims. He had claimed in a Catholic newspaper that Christian criminals steal from anyone, but the criminal group among Muslims often uses this religion as a justification for their behaviour.
Pastors had been banned from talking about Islam since March. The Christian democrats (CDA) in Rotterdam considered that he had violated this ban and voted him out. The coalition of LR, CDA and the conservatives (VVD) decided after Pastors' departure that the remaining aldermen must from then on be free again to talk about all subjects.
According to Van den Anker, Security Alderwoman, there is an "idiotic tension" in the municipal council if the word Islam is merely mentioned. According to polltaker Maurice de Hond, only 32 percent of the Dutch consider Pastors has offended Muslims. Remarkably, 60 percent of CDA supporters consider Pastors was wrongly expelled. Among all respondents, 59 percent found it not right that he should go.
Spokesman Ahmed Marmouch of the Union of Moroccan Mosques in Amsterdam and Environs (UMMAO) has asked the Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) to prosecute Pastors for discrimination, defamation and incitement to hatred. Algemeen Dagblad however reported Friday that Marmouch made similar remarks on TV programme Rondom Tien in November 2004. He said: "Some youths for example commit a robbery, and justify this from Islam."
