THE HAGUE, 28/05/08 - The Union of Moroccan Imams in the Netherlands has questioned the arrest of cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot. "Debate is healthy; you are allowed to say anything," said chairman Yassin Elforkani yesterday in De Pers newspaper.

Nekschot (Neck Shot) was arrested two weeks ago in his home in Amsterdam, by about 10 police. The Public Prosecutor's Office claims that eight of his cartoons are offensive to Muslims or persons with a darker skin colour. As far as is known, no cartoonist has ever been arrested before in the Netherlands.

"Certainly if it is really only about these cartoons, I consider the arrest remarkable," said Elforkani in De Pers. "Debate is healthy; you are allowed to say anything". How far someone can go in the debate is a question of ethics and not a legal question, he argues.

"The cabinet is more afraid of criticism of Islam than the Dutch Muslims," concludes De Pers. (...) "Their attitude is considerably more matter-of-fact than that of the government" in questions about freedom of speech.

The arrest of Nekschot fits into a trend, the newspaper continued. "Thus, the cabinet tried to prevent MP Geert Wilders from making his anti-Koran film Fitna for fear of riots and attacks. Muslims actually reacted very mildly: not a single car went up in flames."

The fear also reigns among local authorities, De Pers added. Recently, Huizen municipality removed a painting in the town hall in which breasts were to be seen following complaints from some Muslims. But the local Turkish mosque considered this action unnecessary, according tot he newspaper.

Elforkani: "You live in a certain environment where agreements have been made. (...) For example, that freedom of expression is a core value of Dutch society. Earlier generations have fought for this."

In the Lower House, various MPs have suggested that the arrest of Nekschot was an appeasement signal from the Netherlands to the Arab world after Fitna. The arrest after all followed a complaint - by a radical Muslim - made way back in 2005 and hence lying in a drawer for three years.