Netherlands: what if the majority would want Sharia law?

Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner considers the Netherlands should give Muslims more freedoms to behave according to their traditions. Muslims refusing to shake hands is fine with him. And Sharia law could be introduced in the Netherlands democratically, in the minister's view.

It is hard to believe that the Justice Minister of the Netherlands actually came out with these statements. Let's say that 80% of the population would want to kill off all Muslims. Would he support it just because the majority want it? Of course not. And that's the way it should be. A liberal democracy does not mean that you do everything according to how the majority wants it. The majority opinion is taken into account but there are basic values that stand above and beyond anybody's opinion. These are the basic values of the right to life, the right to property, the right to freedom of expression, etc. What Donner should be asking himself is whether Sharia law, as it is practiced today in countries which uphold it, support those basic values.

As for the issue of Queen Beatrix not shaking an imam's hands. At the time it was explained that since Queen Beatrix was a guest in a mosque, she followed the "local customs", while if an imam would visit her in the palace, he would have to follow Dutch customs. Apparently, Donner believes that he's a guest in his own country.

Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner considers the Netherlands should give Muslims more freedoms to behave according to their traditions. Muslims refusing to shake hands is fine with him. And Sharia law could be introduced in the Netherlands democratically, in the minister's view.

Muslims have the right to experience their religion in ways that diverge from Dutch social codes, accordign to the Christian democrat (CDA) minister. He thinks Queen Beatrix was very wise not to insist on a Muslim leader shaking hands with her when she visited his mosque in The Hague earlier this year.

Integration Minister Verdonk did previously scold an imam who would not shake her hand. Without directly referring to this incident, Donner considers "a tone that I do not like has crept into the political debate. A tone of: 'Thou shalt assimilate. Thou shalt adopt our values in public. Be reasonable, do it our way'. That is not my approach".

Donner strongly disagrees with a recent plea by CDA parliamentary leader Maxime Verhagen for a ban on parties seeking to launch Sharia (Islamic law) in the Netherlands. "For me it is clear: if two-thirds of the Dutch population should want to introduce the Sharia tomorrow, then the possibility should exist," according to Donner. "It would be a disgrace to say: 'That is not allowed!'."

Donner makes his remarks in an interview in a book entitled, 'The country of hate and anger' (Het land van haat en nijd). The book was written by journalists Margalith Kleijwegt and Max van Weezel of weekly magazine Vrij Nederland. Minister Verdonk will be presented with the first copy today.

Source: NIS News (English)