Author: Andrew Osborn in The Hague
Publication: The Guardian
Date: October 2, 2002
Islamic groups in the Netherlands
have reacted with fury to a suggestion that only Dutch should be spoken
in the country's 450 mosques.
"Imams have a duty to convince their
fellow Muslims that [they] have to be loyal to the values and norms of
Dutch civil society," the Immigration Minister, Hilbrand Nawijn, said at
the opening of a controversial new college to instruct imams in Dutch attitudes
towards homosexuality and women's rights.
The college and the language proposal
were inspired by the murdered populist politician, Pim Fortuyn, whose LPF
party - of which Mr Nawijn is a member - became the second biggest earlier
this year and won a place in a centre-right government.
Mr Fortuyn, who was homosexual,
had incensed the Netherlands 800,000 Muslims by dismissing Islam's views
on gay people and women.
The college, at Soesterberg in Utrecht
province, will give imams intensive Dutch language lessons and courses
on freedom of speech and religion, euthanasia, and non-discrimination.
Issues that are regarded as problematic
by many Dutch citizens - such as the wearing of headscarves, female circumcision
and honour killings - will also be tackled.
"Imams can play an important role
in correcting Islam's negative image and of spurring the acceptance of
Muslims here," Mr Nawijn said.
Attendance at the college will be
mandatory for new imams and they will not be licensed unless they pass
the final exam. Failure is likely to lead to deportation; so will refusal
to attend.
"If they refuse to attend the minister
will make it clear that they are not welcome in the Netherlands any more
and they will not get residence permits," a spokeswoman for the immigration
ministry said.
Imams who are already working will
be unaffected, though the Government has said it will encourage them to
attend. About 33, including several from Morocco and Turkey, have so far
enrolled in the 600-hour course.
Participants have to cover the cost
of the course, though half the cost will be refunded if they pass the exam.
The teachers will be immigrants, often from the imams' own countries, who
have lived in the Netherlands and are familiar with its culture.
The country's Muslim community has
generally welcomed the college as a chance to prove it is not riddled with
extremism. But Mr Nawijn's comment on Monday that only Dutch should be
spoken in mosques has been badly received.
"The idea that only Dutch should
be spoken is meddling, and interferes with freedom of religion," Yassin
Hartog, a Muslim spokesman, said.
"Religious organisations should
be able to organise themselves as they want."
