EU-DIGEST

Five years after Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered by a Muslim extremist in Amsterdam, where half the population is of immigrant origin, the city is grappling with social integration. Mohammed Bouyeri who shot, stabbed and cut the throat of virulent Islam critic Van Gogh on November 2, 2004, had been a resident of Slotervaart. Though of Moroccan origin, he was born and bred in the Netherlands. Bouyeri was jailed for life for the murder that stoked ethnic tensions in the Netherlands and raised fears of homegrown terrorism.

During his trial, Bouyeri said that "the law compels me to chop off the head of anyone who insults Allah and the prophet". "Muslims are afraid of losing their identity, and Dutch society is afraid of them," said the mayor of Amsterdam who encouraged the building of a western-style mosque in his neighbourhood where sermons are in Dutch and men and women pray together.

Note EU-Digest: Jean Tillie, a professor at the University of Amsterdam who specializes in migration and ethnic studies says his work shows that people are driven to embrace radicalism when they feel socially isolated. He says Language in the Netherlands underlines the nature of the problem. In Dutch, the word autochtoon means a native (usually white) Dutch person, whereas an allochtoon is a first- or second-generation immigrant. The terms are used by everyone, from academics to people in the street, mainstream politicians to those on the far right. What they often signify is: us and them. In America there is a similar situation, where the so called "Green Card" immigrants receive to work and stay in the USA before becoming a citizen identifies them as Alien. Today the Amsterdam municipality is encouraging teachers, youth workers and others to signal concerns about the 2 per cent of young Muslims seen as at risk to radicalization, the city has sought contact with mosques and religious organizations and tried to foster "social networks".

Labels: EU, Immigration, Integration, Netherlands