Netherlands: Fear of Muslims understandable

"That fear of Muslims, it's there. Muslims must not play it down. The task on Muslims is to do something there. Seek contact, open your mosques and show that the rooms in the back are washrooms, and that there aren't bombs being made there."

State Secretary Ahmed Aboutaleb made this call to Muslims during a work trip to Breda, organized by the local chapter of the labor party. He was accompanied, by labor politicians from parliament, and Bredsa alderman and council-members.

In a packed community center he called on Muslims, in the Netherlands in general and in Breda in particular, not to seek confrontation but rather to make contact. "It's important that immigrants ask themselves where this hate comes from. And we need bridge-builders. If you consider that there are in this world several idiots who blow themselves up, than you must conclude that they haven't understood the Koran well. But the consequence is that there's enormous fear of Muslims."

A fear which currently Geert Wilders is playing on. "Let him make his film. Let me see me the next day, I'm not afraid. Because I believe in the power of discussion and there's no better means of cleansing than democracy."

Aboutaleb did not refrain from firm statemetns. He repeated his standpoint about wearing headscarves: "If the consequences is that you can't find a job, then accept the consquences. Than you won't have any income. If you jump down from the fifth floor, you know that it will also have consequences."

Source: BN DeStem (Dutch)

See also: Miscellaneous Roundup (No benefits with burka), Netherlands: First Muslim ministers