Hatred of Muslims

I do not understand the persistent negative
racist?
views of Muslims in the Dutch newspapers.

The mainstream press seems to think

all its readers are blond

as it slights its readers of color – the so-called allochtonen – daily.


Last week our best journal, the NRC, proclaimed:

"Rotterdam takes on the Antillean people!”
(Rotterdam pakt Antilianen aan)

Describing a city plan to visit 30,000 homes of people of Antillean descent
to make sure everybody was at work or at school
without any criticism whatever of the

racist underpinnings of the city’s policy.

This week, when a courageous and talented Turk won the Nobel Prize, the headline was

“If only all Turks were so fine”
(Waren alle Turken maar zo keurig)

taking a day of Turkish pride, and making one winner

the exception to the rule.

The persistent sub-text is: the ____ problem –

referring to one or other racial groups.

For ____, insert “Jewish” and you have returned to a time

before World War II – no progress made, thank you very much.

This hatred of difference is
the ugly side of Europe. What burned the Jews

could do the same to the Muslims, given proper circumstances.

Must we really concern ourselves with what language people are speaking --- at home?

Must we re-create the crusades?

Is a woman’s veil so threatening?

It’s only a piece of fabric.