Anti-Muslim Dutch politicians in hiding after death threats

I'm mainly embarrassed that I know so little about your country's politics (how many parties can ONE country have? LOL)

I got so caught up in the politics of the election in general, I just realized there's little time left to do nice things for me and time with friends and family (only so many hours in the day) .  I'll still participate some, and will read this thread religiously.  If I learn anything new from here (even via Fox LOL), I'll be sure to pass it along.  I miss seeing you post over in "Politics".

I've always been curious how you came to know so much about my country.  Have you spent lots of time here?

Netherlands- unfortunaly now Belgium?

Quote:

Death threats force senator into hiding, police protection

A female Belgian senator has been forced into hiding after receiving death threats, it was reported on Wednesday.

Mimount Bousakla, who is of Moroccan origin and is a senator from Antwerp, was advised by police to take refuge at a secret address after receiving the threats by telephone, several Flemish newspapers reported.
[..]

Never trust the newly converted ...

Germany's Muslims Take To Street To Demonstrate Against Terrorism
By Manik Mehta

BERLIN, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- In a departure from its past silence over acts of international terrorism, often interpreted by the local population as tacit endorsement of -- and encouragement to -- the perpetrators, Germany's Muslim community is taking the initiative and coming out to condemn such attacks.

After debating for a long time over this issue, controversial within its rank and file, the largest apex organization of Muslims in Germany, popularly known by its German acronym Ditib, has called for a mass demonstration in Cologne on Nov 21.

The demonstration, to be held under the motto "Together for peace and against terrorism", is aimed at rejecting any form of extremism within the Islamic faith, a Ditib member told Bernama.

"In effect, we are pledging ourselves to uphold the principles of the democratic state, and to our duty to defend it," Ditib's secretary-general Ali Gulcek said.

Gulcek has denied that the decision to stage the demonstration is a reaction to the recent assassination of Dutch film director Theo van Gogh in the streets of Amsterdam, followed by what the Dutch authorities describe as a vengeful attack on a school and mosque in the Netherlands.

"Of course, we ought to have shown our solidarity much earlier," he admitted recently in interviews with the German media.

He revealed that the demonstration had, actually, been planned for May this year but had to be postponed because preparations had to be made for autumn.

By staging the demonstration, Ditib said that it would like to bring about a change in perception of Islam in Germany.

German politicians and Church representatives have been urging Muslims in Germany to publicly dissociate themselves from terrorism after perpetration of such acts.

Although Muslim groups in Germany had sporadically condemned such terrorist attacks, there had not been a mass demonstration by Muslims in Germany.

"We had never been silent in the past, but now we are going to be loud," Gulcek said.

He expects some 30,000 people to take part in the Nov 21 demonstration.

But Muslim organisers acknowledge that it will not be easy mobilizing thousands of Muslim demonstrators particularly because Muslims are not well organised to a large extent.

Also, there is rivalry between individual Muslim groups.

The second largest organisation called Milli Gorus, which comprises, essentially, of Turkish Muslims, has so far been cool in its reaction to the idea of staging a demonstration against acts of terrorism by perpetrators in the name of Islam.

Its secretary general, Oguz Ucuncu, was quoted as saying that his organization had "not yet been invited" to participate in the demonstration.

He felt that the idea of staging a demonstration was tantamount to bowing to the pressures of public opinion.

He said that he did not need any demonstration to show that he was against terrorism.

It had always been something natural for him (to be against terrorism).

Ucuncu stated that organising a demonstration made sense only if there was a direct compelling reason.

His organisation had, for example, participated in the procession in Amsterdam to express sorrow over the killing of van Gogh.

The incidents in the Netherlands could not be automatically linked with Germany, he maintained.

Ucuncu was, in effect, alluding to the demand by German Bishop Wolfgang Hubers, the chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Churches in Germany, who had admonished after the hostage-taking in Beslan that Germany's Muslims should dissociate themselves from the incidents of Beslan.

This call led to severe reactions among the Muslim groups in Germany whose representatives pointed out that the violent hostage-taking of children by Chechnya rebels had been motivated not by any Islamic reasons but by purely nationalist considerations.

Muslim groups in Germany questioned why they were being linked with events in Russia.

"What have we to do with those incidents?" they asked.

German Church representatives also asked why Muslims in Germany did not follow the example of their brethren in France who had taken to the streets to demonstrate against the kidnapping of two French journalists in Iraq.

Muslims in France said that they did not want such acts of terrorism by Iraqi perpetrators who professed to be doing it to force the French state to withdraw its ban on the wearing of head scarves by Muslims schoolgirls.

However, the Central Council of Muslims in Germany has praised the idea of staging a demonstration by Muslims.

Nadeem Elyas, its chairman, said that it would be possible to jointly organize the demonstration together with Ditib.

He explained that his organization had refrained from a demonstration in the past because it had feared that there would be low participation.

But then there was the wrong impression among the German public that Muslims were not interested in dissociating themselves from terrorism and "all the other associations should now work (towards dispelling this impression)," Elyas said.

Pakistan bans Newsweek magazine

The latest issue of US news magazine Newsweek has been banned in Pakistan for publishing material that "desecrates the Koran".
A district magistrate in the capital, Islamabad, ordered all copies of the 22 November issue to be destroyed.

The issue contains an article about murdered Dutch film-maker Theo Van Gogh and pictures of a woman with Koranic verses inscribed on her body.

Islamic parties said the article showed Western bias against Muslims.


Controversial film


Magistrate Tariq Mahmood Pirzada said the article, Clash of Civilisations, "contained some objectionable remarks which are tantamount to desecration of the Koran".

Authorities said they were considering legal action against the publication, although they gave no further details.


The ban may have little effect on sales - the 22 November issue has already been superseded by the 29 November edition.

An Islamabad vendor told Associated Press Television News the 22 November issue had sold 50% more than other editions of the magazine.

The Dawn newspaper said the article was a "naked attack on Muslims' faith. It hurts the feelings of over a billion inhabitants of this Earth".

Van Gogh, 47, had made a controversial film critical of Islamic culture.

Intended to illustrate domestic violence in Muslim societies, it featured images of Koranic verses daubed on semi-naked women.


He was shot and stabbed to death in Amsterdam on 2 November.

Several men, all believed to be Islamic radicals, have been arrested in connection with his death. The alleged killer is Mohammed Bouyeri, a 26-year-old Dutch-Moroccan.

Mosques in several Dutch cities have been the targets of vandalism and failed arson attempts since the killing.

The europeans are so politically correct that they let practically anyone into the country.

australia wrote:

The europeans are so politically correct that they let practically anyone into the country.

Nonsense.