About 40-50 elementary school kids of Moroccan origin misbehaved during an outdoor playing day in May in Maassluis. The kids started pestering the volunteers and were told to behave themselves.
Ria Derwort, president of neighborhood committee De Flat called it a real revolt. “Our volunteers were then called names ‘cancer whore’, ‘cancer Jew’ and “dirty Christian dog”. That ticked off some of our older volunteers. Stuff was thrown and about 40 to 50 Moroccan kids of 8 to 12 years old cursed at us and we were pelted with stones.”
“I continue to dedicate myself to all residents of the neighborhood; I’m not going to bow my head before 4th and 5th generation Moroccans that have no respect for women.”
The same kids also misbehaved later in a soccer game organized by Moroccan volunteers. They had no control over the kids either, says Henry Heesbeen of De Flat, “It’s really a shame that they can’t revert back to the roots, to the parents”, he says over the fact that many Moroccan parents don’t feel responsible for what their kids do outside.
Koos Karssen, the mayor, had kept things under wrap for a month in order to try and deal with the problem on his own. When it came up in the council meeting he tried to hush up the unrest.
Karssen has spoken with schools and intends to speak with the imam and talk to both kids and parents. He also arranged talks between De Flat and Ummah Wahidah (One Nation). Ummah Wahida condemns the behavior of the kids but did not come out to say so publicly.
Nieuw Rechts (New Right), an extreme right wing party, responded by advertising gift coupans for a free one-way trip to Morocco.
This “playful action”, according to Michiel Smit president of Nieuw Rechts, was a reaction to the events of the day and to the mayor’s responses.
Smit: “It’s foolish that he wants to keep the dear peace. Like the Cohen method: drink tea and think that it will all turn out alright. While stone throwing is criminal behavior. We think that people that don’t adapt themselves should be sent back to Morocco.”
As a side note: Though Maassluis had a Jewish community 1700’s, mostly because it was one of the only regions where Jews could live, by WWII, there were only 8 Jews, none of which returned to the city after the war.
Source: AD.nl 1, 2 (Dutch), Wikipedia (Dutch)
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