Accidental Blogger

From the Danish cartoons to the French riots – it has become increasingly clear to me that Continental Europe is quick to criticize the US on race relations and what Europeans see as a lack of liberal social policies in America. But when it comes to dealing with their own minorities, especially the Muslims, Europeans are either too angry  or too scared.  The Netherlands, one of Europe’s most liberal democracies, has recently had its share of troubles with its Muslim citizens and residents, most of whom immigrated from north African countries. The Europeans want their immigrants to assimilate – fair enough. But pretending that they don’t exist and sweeping uncomfortable truths and irritants arising out of a huge culture gap between the majority and minority communities is not just unwise but dangerous. If the British government could for years protect one of its fiercest critics, Salman Rushdie, from the murderous brigade of Ayatollah Khomeini, can’t the Dutch assure the safety of a member of their own parliament ? Or could it be that they don’t want to?  Those who rock the boat, even on behalf of free speech, religious freedom, human and civil rights, become inconvenient "trouble makers" in the eyes of the cowardly Europeans.   

An inconvenient woman  (Houston Chronicle)

"AYAAN Hirsi Ali is easy to applaud from afar. The Somali-born activist fled a forced marriage and found refuge in Holland, where within a decade she became a member of parliament. In perfect Dutch, she has denounced abuse of women in Holland’s Islamic ghettos — and in traditional Islam worldwide. When her co-producer in a film on this theme was murdered, a note on his corpse warned Ali was next. Still, she continued to speak out.

But Ali has ended up leaving Holland. This month, in a hailstorm of controversy, she announced she’s moving here (USA) to work for the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute. Actually, she had to leave. Dutch immigration chief Rita Verdonk stripped Ali’s Dutch citizenship this month because she’d lied on her application for asylum.

No one could call this revelation news. Its first source was Ali herself, who disclosed the application lie in 2002 and voiced remorse. She used a relative’s surname, she explained, because her powerful Somali father was pursuing her. It was only when a Dutch TV show revived the issue this month that Verdonk acted.

The affair has drawn intense criticism within the Netherlands and perhaps more internationally. Even before the asylum question, Ali already was making many Dutch uneasy. In a tiny nation that prizes its ethnic tolerance and civic calm, Ali insisted on discussing the brutality in Holland’s Muslim enclaves. After her film partner’s murder, Ali became an uncomfortable reminder of the unaddressed tensions in Holland’s multicultural society.

Uneasy with the tumult surrounding her, Holland’s authorities defended her half-heartedly. Given police protection, Ali was nevertheless evicted from her apartment when neighbors claimed her presence jeopardized their own safety.  And even as she enraged extremist Muslims and discomfited authorities, Ali alienated other groups as well. In the eyes of some moderate Muslims, Ali’s harsh critiques fueled anti-Muslim hate rather than Islamic reform.

Finally, Ali blamed Holland’s mass immigration as a conduit for anti-democratic, anti-woman values. A sincere critique, her view was eagerly co-opted by xenophobes in Europe and this country, too.

Pro-woman, pro-West and intellectually fearless, Ali is sure to thrive here. But as challenging as this self-described "Muslim atheist" has been for the Dutch, she may be more so for Americans. A colleague of Ali’s, for instance, told Time magazine that Ali sharply opposes Christianity’s incursions into U.S. public life. America will be the better with Ali’s bold, original voice. And it should brace for some uncomfortable ideas."