Islam Online- Mohammad Doesn’t Mean 'Killer' in Holland
Mohammad Doesn’t Mean ‘Killer’ in Holland
It is a stereotype to call all Americans named Charles as “serial killers†for no other reason than carrying the name of one of the most famous murderers in US history, Charles Manson.
In the Netherlands, it is a similar demonization to call thousands of Dutch Muslims named Mohammad B “murderers†just because they share the killer of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh his first name and the initial of his middle.
Inge Shouten, an Amsterdam University student, took the initiative of dispelling the prevailing stereotype in her Dutch society through a research paper spotlighting shining Muslim examples even though they “are named Mohammad B.â€
She became very interested in the subject after being moved by the sufferings of a friend of hers called Mohammad Bakr.
Bakr’s life has been turned into a nightmare as media and newspapers went on tarnishing the name as an indicator of extremism and violence after the killing in November of last year.
“I just wanted to remove this appalling stereotype and demonstrate to the Dutch that an entire minority has been demonized by the wrongdoing of one person,†she told IslamOnline.net Monday, November 7.
