Netherlands: Trade union supports recognizing Muslim holiday

CNV, one of the Netherlands' largest trade unions, supports recognizing a Muslim holiday. The union thinks for example of replacing Easter Monday or Whit Monday with Eid ul-Fitr or Eid ul-Adha.

Vice President of CNV, Rienk van Splunder, wants to see a recognized Muslim holiday soon despite the opposition he expects from Christian circles. "The holiday in the Netherlands stem from the Christian tradition."

FNV, another trade union doesn't think it realistic since not many Muslims are members of a trade union. Both union hope that Muslim employees will sign up to existing unions.

Both unions oppose a Muslim trade union. Though if such a union would be established, they are both ready to work together.

Last year CNV called Whit Monday a great good and didn't want to exchange it with Eid ul-Fitr. The union said then that religions would be set against each other if a free day would be replaced.

Source: nu.nl (Dutch)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Esther,
Rather than hiding behind resource lists, newspaper reports and journals maybe you should just come out and tell us where you REALLY stand on Muslims and Islam.

I'm British, a Muslim and I have a Swedish girlfriend. We have no problems with each others beliefs and opinions. My parents were also of mixed faiths and they, too, respected each others religions.

I was brought up simply not to hate other people, regardless of their intolerance.

Instead of busying yourself in the industry of hate, why don't you work towards helping people to start caring about each other?

Snouck said...

Anonymous:
"Instead of busying yourself in the industry of hate"

How can you be so sure Esther is motivated by hatred (a prerequisite for working in the Industry of hatred)?

Using a word like "hate", "racism" or "anti-semitism" is highly emotive and usually has the effect of making all debate impossible.

Blessed Ramadan.

Snouck
Son of Loki