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Posted on March 14th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

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De Volkskrant / Fennema: Racisme zonder ras is gevaarlijke onzin

Posted on March 13th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Multiculti Issues.

Eerder plaatste ik hier het Volkskrant artikel van Ghorashi en Spijkerboer ‘Racisme zonder ras’. UvA hoogleraar Meinert Fennema reageert daarop door te stellen dat door tegenstanders te betichten van racisme wek je de indruk dat hun standpunten niet alleen verkeerd maar ook strafbaar zijn.

Hier zijn hele stuk

Op donderdag 6 maart stond er op Forum een artikel van mijn collega’s Halleh Ghorashi en Thomas Spijkerboer, allebei verbonden aan de Vrije Universiteit, de een als hoogleraar management van diversiteit en integratie, de ander als hoogleraar migratierecht. Met de strekking van het artikel waarin opgeroepen wordt tot een democratische discussie waarin verbinding voorop staat, kan ik het in grote lijnen eens zijn. Vooral met de zinsnede ‘Met beledigingen kun je in een discussie niets bereiken, behalve het aanwakkeren van haatgevoelens.’

Maar juist daardoor was ik enigszins verbijsterd door hun centrale argument dat er sprake is van een nieuw soort racisme dat niet gebaseerd is op ras, maar op religie of cultuur. Ik citeer: ‘Bij het nieuwe racisme is het (al dan niet vermeende) culturele of religieuze verschil de basis van ongemak, afkeuring of angst.’ Vervolgens nemen zij stelling tegen het verbod op het dragen van een boerka in het openbaar vervoer. Zij zien daarin hetzelfde als de verplichting tot het dragen van een hoofddoek in Iran. Zij noemen dat dus racisme.

Het gaat mij nu niet om de vraag of een boerka met een hoofddoek te vergelijken is en of degenen die in Nederland voor een boerkaverbod pleiten op één lijn gesteld mogen worden met de leiders van Iran. Wel merk ik op dat deze manier van discussiëren nu niet bepaald een voorbeeld is van het debat dat de auteurs zeggen voor te staan, ‘waarin verbinding centraal staat’.

Wat mij verbijstert, is de wens van mijn collega’s om dit racisme te noemen. Het regime van de Ayatollah werd door religieus fanatisme en intolerantie gekenmerkt, maar toch niet door racisme? In de Wikipedia lees ik: ‘Met een overweldigende meerderheid stemde het volk vóór de instelling van de islamitische republiek en op 1 april 1979 werd de Islamitische Republiek Iran uitgeroepen. Als geestelijk leider bezat Khomeini een onaantastbare positie. Samen met de Raad van Hoeders van de Constitutie kon hij wetsvoorstellen blokkeren, wanneer deze on-islamitisch werden geacht of in strijd met de Koran of het Islamitisch Recht.’

Het is een afschuwelijk voorbeeld van wat er kan gebeuren als democratische besluitvorming niet binnen de grenzen blijft van een rechtsstaat, waarin ook de rechten van minderheden gegarandeerd zijn. Ik begrijp dan ook heel goed dat Halleh Ghorashi niet terugverlangt naar deze op het islamitisch recht gebaseerde meerderheidsdictatuur, waarvan men zich overigens kan afvragen of zij nog steeds door een meerderheid van het Iraanse volk wordt gedragen. Maar wat is hier racistisch aan? Het gaat hier toch om religieus geïnspireerde intolerantie? En waarom willen de auteurs religieus fanatisme of gebrek aan respect voor culturele minderheden zo graag als racisme bestempelen?

Ik kan eigenlijk maar één reden bedenken. In Nederland is racisme bij de wet verboden. Door je tegenstanders van racisme te betichten, wek je dus de indruk dat hun standpunten niet alleen verkeerd, maar ook strafbaar zijn. Hoewel zij dus hun tegenstanders oproepen tot matiging in het publieke debat, zetten zij zelf aan tot juridische vervolging van hun tegenstanders. Zij discussiëren met een juridisch vlindermes onder hun toga.

Zelf verkeer ik in de gelukkige omstandigheid dat ik, mét Ghorashi en Spijkerboer, ook tegen een boerkaverbod ben, anders dan om redenen van staatsveiligheid. Voor mij is een boerka gewoon een bivakmuts die men niet om klimatologische maar om religieuze redenen draagt. Ik hoor dus volgens mijn collega’s van de VU niet tot het gilde van de nieuwe racisten (althans, dat hoop ik maar). Maar om te komen tot een matiging van de toon in het debat roep ik mijn collega’s van de VU op het criminaliseren van tegenstanders te staken.

Het concept van racisme zonder ras, dat in 1981 door Martin Barker werd gelanceerd in een aanval op de toenmalige Engelse conservatief Enoch Powell, is politiek gezien contraproductief. Het wachten is immers op een ludieke groep neoconservatieven die het ‘Verbond van Nieuwe Racisten’ opricht, op dezelfde manier als een groep ludieke homo’s ooit de flikkerbeweging begonnen is. En wetenschappelijk stelt hun betoog niets voor. Rookworst zonder ‘r’ is ook worst, maar racisme zonder ras is gevaarlijke onzin.

5 comments.

My Ph.D – Searching for a ‘pure' Islam. Religious Beliefs and Identity Construction among Moroccan-Dutch Youth

Posted on March 12th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: (Upcoming) Events, My Research.

Ph.D. Defense by Martijn de Koning
Searching for a ‘pure’ Islam. Religious Beliefs and Identity Construction among Moroccan-Dutch Youth
17 April 2008 – 17 April 2008
Venue: Aula Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam
Time 1.45 pm

Most of the debates in the Netherlands about Islam and integration focus on Moroccan-Dutch youth. There is little research done on the ways they are religious and how they construct their Muslim identity in relation to others. In my Ph.D thesis I show how Islam has become the most important frame of reference for Moroccan-Dutch youth to reflect upon who they are and what they want to be. I will defend my Ph.D on 17 April at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. (more…)

2 comments.

My Ph.D – Searching for a ‘pure’ Islam. Religious Beliefs and Identity Construction among Moroccan-Dutch Youth

Posted on March 12th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: (Upcoming) Events, My Research.

Ph.D. Defense by Martijn de Koning
Searching for a ‘pure’ Islam. Religious Beliefs and Identity Construction among Moroccan-Dutch Youth
17 April 2008 – 17 April 2008
Venue: Aula Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam
Time 1.45 pm

Most of the debates in the Netherlands about Islam and integration focus on Moroccan-Dutch youth. There is little research done on the ways they are religious and how they construct their Muslim identity in relation to others. In my Ph.D thesis I show how Islam has become the most important frame of reference for Moroccan-Dutch youth to reflect upon who they are and what they want to be. I will defend my Ph.D on 17 April at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. (more…)

2 comments.

Coming soon…Fitna III – Pro Fitna sites

Posted on March 11th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News, Public Islam.

Besides the anti-fitna websites there are also websites in favour of the movie (or in favour of the freedom of expression is some would frame it). One example is Steun Wilders (Support Wilders) that has an online petition as well.

0 comments.

Arabs campaign for women to "Take off the Veil"

Posted on March 10th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Gender, Kinship & Marriage Issues.

Arabs campaign for women to “Take off the Veil”
A group of Arabic websites and blogs have launched an international campaign against the Muslim headscarf (hijab), arguing the move is a response to what they see as “intellectual terrorism” practiced by strict Islamic groups and individuals.

The campaign is called “Take Off The Veil”, and was launched March 8, 2008 to coincide with International Women’s Day.

0 comments.

Arabs campaign for women to “Take off the Veil”

Posted on March 10th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Gender, Kinship & Marriage Issues.

Arabs campaign for women to “Take off the Veil”
A group of Arabic websites and blogs have launched an international campaign against the Muslim headscarf (hijab), arguing the move is a response to what they see as “intellectual terrorism” practiced by strict Islamic groups and individuals.

The campaign is called “Take Off The Veil”, and was launched March 8, 2008 to coincide with International Women’s Day.

0 comments.

Volkskrant | Ghorashi & Spijkerboer – Nieuw: racisme zonder ras

Posted on March 10th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Multiculti Issues.

Interessant artikel op 6 maart in de Volkskrant van Halleh Ghorashi en Thomas Spijkerboer; beiden hoogleraar aan de Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Volgens hen bedreigt anti-islamitisch racisme de burgerlijke vrijheden in Nederland.

Racisme is een woord dat in Nederland onmiddellijk ontkenning oproept. Nederland ziet zichzelf als een open en tolerante samenleving en racisme past daar niet bij. Dit zelfbeeld is een gevolg van de pijnlijke herinneringen aan de Tweede Wereldoorlog.

Europa heeft – het is al vaker vastgesteld – met een nieuw soort racisme te maken: racisme zonder ras, maar gebaseerd op een homogene en statische notie van cultuur als grond voor uitsluiting. Bij het nieuwe racisme is het (al dan niet vermeende) culturele of religieuze verschil de basis voor ongemak, afkeuring of angst.

Velen zullen een dergelijke parallel als extreem ervaren. Er is in de verste verte geen sprake van het uitroeien van groepen op basis van religieus of cultureel verschil. Toch zou het niet onlogisch zijn om waakzaam te zijn voor de opkomende islam-allergie in Nederland. Regelmatig herhaalde, extreem negatieve uitspraken over een bepaalde bevolkingsgroep kunnen ertoe leiden dat een achtergestelde positie van islamitische Nederlanders vanzelfsprekend wordt. Dat een niet-moslim die iemand met een moslimuiterlijk ziet, of een artikel van een moslim in de krant leest, meteen denkt: ‘achterlijk, gevaarlijk, onbeschaafd’. De huidige extreme uitspraken over moslims kunnen ertoe leiden dat we het legitiem gaan vinden dat een groep geschoffeerd wordt. Racisme is schadelijk lang voordat het genocidaal wordt.

Daarnaast draagt de aanzwellende anti-moslim-atmosfeer bij aan de teloorgang van de morele traditie van burgerlijke participatie en debat, die essentieel is voor het handhaven van de rechten en vrijheden van iedereen. In een democratische rechtsstaat worden de rechten en vrijheden van minderheden bewaakt, niet alleen door de staat, maar ook door de burgers zelf. Het gevaar van populisme is dat de meerderheid de minderheid de wet gaat voorschrijven. Burgers moeten dus op hun hoede zijn als populisme de kop opsteekt. Als er iets is dat een democratie kan bedreigen, is het de geldingsdrang van de meerderheid. Juist wanneer er sprake is van maatschappelijke spanningen en onbehagen moeten we ons niet laten meeslepen door angst en ongenoegen.

Afgelopen weken is er op aangedrongen om het dragen van een boerka in het openbaar vervoer te verbieden. Tegelijkertijd roept Iran Nederland op de film van Wilders te verbieden. Een van ons was in Iran jarenlang verplicht een hoofddoek en andere islamitische kleding te dragen. Het recht van de seculiere minderheid werd overruled door de wens van de zogenaamd islamitische meerderheid. Wanneer de meerderheid zonder legitieme argumenten eigen normen en waarden oplegt aan een minderheid, is de vrijheid in gevaar – niet alleen de vrijheid van de minderheid die toevallig op dat moment het onderspit delft. Wat is de grens van het anders zijn? Mogen we binnen een democratische rechtsstaat de boerka (die als teken wordt gezien van radicalisering van moslims) of de film van Wilders (die als teken wordt gezien van de radicalisering van rechts) verbieden?

De vraag is wat ons betreft niet: zijn we voor of tegen boerka of Wilders, maar: wat zegt zo’n verbod over de samenleving die we willen zijn. Een tweede vraag is: wat is het effect van zo’n verbod op islamitische, respectievelijk rechtse radicalisering in Nederland?

Een verbod op de boerka of de film zal de islamitische of chauvinistische ‘assertiviteit’ aanwakkeren. Je kunt een ontwikkeling niet tegenhouden door haar te verbieden. Wat wel zal werken, is aandacht voor de groeiende spanning in Nederland; voor de mate waarin frustratie en ressentiment discussies domineren, in plaats van goede argumenten. Discussie zelf is niet waar een democratische cultuur voor staat, maar wel voor een discussie waarin verbinding centraal staat. Met beledigingen kun je in een discussie niets bereiken, behalve het aanwakkeren van haatgevoelens. Wat we in Nederland nodig hebben, is het besef dat we elkaar nodig hebben. Verbinding door goed doordachte argumenten is de enige remedie tegen de groeiende radicalisering en het nieuwe racisme in Nederland.

Het belangrijkste wapen om de kwetsbare vrijheid te verdedigen, is het vermogen van burgers om open met elkaar in debat te gaan. Zonder taboes, maar ook zonder beledigingen. Het gaat om de bereidheid van burgers zich in te zetten voor hun eigen vrijheid en ruimte, maar evenzeer voor de vrijheid en de ruimte van de ander met wie zij het oneens zijn. Deze morele burgerlijke traditie vormt de kracht van elke vitale democratische samenleving, en is het enige dat de macht van het populisme kan tegenhouden. Deze traditie is sterker dan je zou denken. Want zij kan vorm krijgen op elke plek waar burgers met elkaar in discussie gaan: in de klas, het café, gebedshuizen en op de bushalte. Laten we aan die traditie, nu het erom begint te spannen, vorm geven waar en wanneer we maar kunnen.

0 comments.

Volkskrant | Ghorashi & Spijkerboer – Nieuw: racisme zonder ras

Posted on March 10th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Multiculti Issues.

Interessant artikel op 6 maart in de Volkskrant van Halleh Ghorashi en Thomas Spijkerboer; beiden hoogleraar aan de Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Volgens hen bedreigt anti-islamitisch racisme de burgerlijke vrijheden in Nederland.

Racisme is een woord dat in Nederland onmiddellijk ontkenning oproept. Nederland ziet zichzelf als een open en tolerante samenleving en racisme past daar niet bij. Dit zelfbeeld is een gevolg van de pijnlijke herinneringen aan de Tweede Wereldoorlog.

Europa heeft – het is al vaker vastgesteld – met een nieuw soort racisme te maken: racisme zonder ras, maar gebaseerd op een homogene en statische notie van cultuur als grond voor uitsluiting. Bij het nieuwe racisme is het (al dan niet vermeende) culturele of religieuze verschil de basis voor ongemak, afkeuring of angst.

Velen zullen een dergelijke parallel als extreem ervaren. Er is in de verste verte geen sprake van het uitroeien van groepen op basis van religieus of cultureel verschil. Toch zou het niet onlogisch zijn om waakzaam te zijn voor de opkomende islam-allergie in Nederland. Regelmatig herhaalde, extreem negatieve uitspraken over een bepaalde bevolkingsgroep kunnen ertoe leiden dat een achtergestelde positie van islamitische Nederlanders vanzelfsprekend wordt. Dat een niet-moslim die iemand met een moslimuiterlijk ziet, of een artikel van een moslim in de krant leest, meteen denkt: ‘achterlijk, gevaarlijk, onbeschaafd’. De huidige extreme uitspraken over moslims kunnen ertoe leiden dat we het legitiem gaan vinden dat een groep geschoffeerd wordt. Racisme is schadelijk lang voordat het genocidaal wordt.

Daarnaast draagt de aanzwellende anti-moslim-atmosfeer bij aan de teloorgang van de morele traditie van burgerlijke participatie en debat, die essentieel is voor het handhaven van de rechten en vrijheden van iedereen. In een democratische rechtsstaat worden de rechten en vrijheden van minderheden bewaakt, niet alleen door de staat, maar ook door de burgers zelf. Het gevaar van populisme is dat de meerderheid de minderheid de wet gaat voorschrijven. Burgers moeten dus op hun hoede zijn als populisme de kop opsteekt. Als er iets is dat een democratie kan bedreigen, is het de geldingsdrang van de meerderheid. Juist wanneer er sprake is van maatschappelijke spanningen en onbehagen moeten we ons niet laten meeslepen door angst en ongenoegen.

Afgelopen weken is er op aangedrongen om het dragen van een boerka in het openbaar vervoer te verbieden. Tegelijkertijd roept Iran Nederland op de film van Wilders te verbieden. Een van ons was in Iran jarenlang verplicht een hoofddoek en andere islamitische kleding te dragen. Het recht van de seculiere minderheid werd overruled door de wens van de zogenaamd islamitische meerderheid. Wanneer de meerderheid zonder legitieme argumenten eigen normen en waarden oplegt aan een minderheid, is de vrijheid in gevaar – niet alleen de vrijheid van de minderheid die toevallig op dat moment het onderspit delft. Wat is de grens van het anders zijn? Mogen we binnen een democratische rechtsstaat de boerka (die als teken wordt gezien van radicalisering van moslims) of de film van Wilders (die als teken wordt gezien van de radicalisering van rechts) verbieden?

De vraag is wat ons betreft niet: zijn we voor of tegen boerka of Wilders, maar: wat zegt zo’n verbod over de samenleving die we willen zijn. Een tweede vraag is: wat is het effect van zo’n verbod op islamitische, respectievelijk rechtse radicalisering in Nederland?

Een verbod op de boerka of de film zal de islamitische of chauvinistische ‘assertiviteit’ aanwakkeren. Je kunt een ontwikkeling niet tegenhouden door haar te verbieden. Wat wel zal werken, is aandacht voor de groeiende spanning in Nederland; voor de mate waarin frustratie en ressentiment discussies domineren, in plaats van goede argumenten. Discussie zelf is niet waar een democratische cultuur voor staat, maar wel voor een discussie waarin verbinding centraal staat. Met beledigingen kun je in een discussie niets bereiken, behalve het aanwakkeren van haatgevoelens. Wat we in Nederland nodig hebben, is het besef dat we elkaar nodig hebben. Verbinding door goed doordachte argumenten is de enige remedie tegen de groeiende radicalisering en het nieuwe racisme in Nederland.

Het belangrijkste wapen om de kwetsbare vrijheid te verdedigen, is het vermogen van burgers om open met elkaar in debat te gaan. Zonder taboes, maar ook zonder beledigingen. Het gaat om de bereidheid van burgers zich in te zetten voor hun eigen vrijheid en ruimte, maar evenzeer voor de vrijheid en de ruimte van de ander met wie zij het oneens zijn. Deze morele burgerlijke traditie vormt de kracht van elke vitale democratische samenleving, en is het enige dat de macht van het populisme kan tegenhouden. Deze traditie is sterker dan je zou denken. Want zij kan vorm krijgen op elke plek waar burgers met elkaar in discussie gaan: in de klas, het café, gebedshuizen en op de bushalte. Laten we aan die traditie, nu het erom begint te spannen, vorm geven waar en wanneer we maar kunnen.

0 comments.

Danish cartoonist: Dutch politician should air his anti-Quran film – de Volkskrant

Posted on March 10th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News, Public Islam.

Danish cartoonist: Dutch politician should air his anti-Quran film – Binnenland – de Volkskrant

In the Dutch daily newspaper Volkskrant an interview with Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard by Nanda Troost, about his predicaments after the recent death threats and the Fitna movie by Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

Read the Dutch version HERE

The english version HERE

ÅRHUS – Dutch politician Geert Wilders should definitely air his anti-Quranfilm, Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard says Monday in an exclusive interview in the Dutch newspaper ‘de Volkskrant’. (more…)

0 comments.

Coming soon…Fitna II – Anti fitna sites

Posted on March 9th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News, Public Islam.

UPDATED – SEE BELOW

It is important to recognize that the views of Wilders are not endorsed by all Dutch people. Muslims as well as non-Muslims have initiated several initiatives against Wilders and his film Fitna.

Look for example at Hollandlovesmuslims.com, although apparently plagued by hate comments, their campaign is still running (contrary to what I wrote earlier).

Another initiative is Stop Geert Wilders.com where you can buy t-shirts mocking Wilders.

Another online initiative wants to make clear that Wilders Is Not Holland: (more…)

0 comments.

Protected: Nederlands Dagblad – Imam: Geert Wilders moet vooral Allah vrezen

Posted on March 8th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: ISIM/RU Research, Misc. News, Religious Movements.

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Coming soon…Fitna I

Posted on March 7th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere, Public Islam.

Wilders movie Fitna is widely discussed on Dutch blogs. A Fist full of euros has made an interesting overview of it. One of the interesting links they have is to an Iranian Shia webforum where people discuss the freedom of expression in the Netherlands and in Iran. There are also several bloggers discussing the issue. I will leave out the usual suspects here and concentrate on few of the smaller blogs that I have found via Global Voices.

Indonesia Matters has a lot of attention for Dutch politics and Geert Wilders as well.

Where does the freedom of speech crosses the line and turns into discrimination thus violating article 1 of the Dutch Constitution where discrimination of people on their gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, political view or any other ground is prohibited? This is the same article Wilders is referring to by branding Al-Quran as fascist.

The questions asked seem to be leading in one way or the other on many of the other blogs. Consider for example Israpundit where an article of Spengle is published:

The erring spiritual leader of the Church of England persuades me that Europe’s Man of Destiny is the Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who for two years has lived in hiding under constant police protection for the crime of criticizing Islam. It is a measure of the degradation of Europe’s body politic that is only one means to expose the motives of Williams and his ilk, namely to draw fire from Muslims who overtly threaten violence against any public figure who questions the authority of Islam.
Contrary to his critics, Wilders is not provoking violence. The violence is already there, a matter of workaday fact in Muslim enclaves throughout Europe. In an act of great personal courage, Wilders is enticing violent elements out of the tall grass in order to expose them to public opprobrium.

(Spengle refers to Williams’ comments on the shari’a. For a well informed take on that issue see Indigo Jo and Yahya Birt). Another article on Israpundit from Andrew Bostom shows a speech Wilders earlier held on Islam and violence and refers to a quote of Churchill:

While we await the release of Dutch MP Geert Wilders 15 minute documentary on the Koran and Violence, it is worth recalling (hat tip Daniel Pipes) that Winston Churchill on p. 50 of From War to War, the first part of the first volume of his 6-part Second World War, proclaimed Hitler’s Mein Kampf to be,

“…the new Koran of faith and war: turgid, verbose, shapeless, but pregnant with its message.”

Sanjar writes about the protests in Afghanistan against the re-publication of the Danish cartoons and the Fitna movie.

I think the publication of cartoon shows how reconcilable Islam is with western secular values. In the west its seen as gesture to reemphasize western commitment to freedom of expression. In the muslim world its not about freedom of expression. It’s about the way of life. Afghanistan’s Religious Affairs Ministry has called the reprinting of the cartoon as an attack against Islam. Several other Islamic countries have demanded that the film by the Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders must not be released.

It is clear that the two events (the film and the cartoons) each of their own trigger the hostile situations and debates and together make the issue of freedom of speech even stronger. The sometimes hostile reactions led View from Iran to the following commentIn the end, the best response to Wilders is the cold shoulder or humor.

If there is a violent response, doesn’t that just make his point? It’s like fuel for him and even for people who might not agree with him but who see his vindication in a violent response. Who am I to tell people what to do? But if you are a Muslim who is offended by Wilders, then the most effective protest you can offer is to ignore him completely .

I prefer Eutopia’s response to the mania. It’s generous and humorous.

They refer to Europia’s initiative Holland loves Muslims. Sour reactions by Dutch weblogs such as Geenstijl.nl resulted however in a stream of negative and sometimes hateful comments which led Eutopia to end their project.

Subzero is one of the websites we can find an entirely different reaction but still taking issue with the freedom of speech:

I personally think this has nothing to do with freedom of expression, I think it is staunch bigotry, very insulting and something that should be totally unacceptable from a state official.
I believe it should be illegal for anyone to threaten legal citizens to throw them out of their country for any reason, let alone their religious beliefs.
I think this bigot should be thrown out of office and prosecuted for his attacks and actions.

And regarding the possibility of a violent reaction in the Muslim world to the release of this movie; nobody should expect a ‘civilized’ reaction to such an uncivilized attack! Every action has an equal and opposite reaction!
But still, I really hope violence is avoided and that people show their protest and anger in a more effective way.

Subzero also refers what would happen if someone did the same with the Jews as Wilders is doing with Muslims. A similar take can be found on Islamophobia in Europe pointing to what seems to be a double standard:

Offending Islam and Islamophobia is considered in most of the European countries as free speech, but don’t try to raise any issue regarding the Jewish community because you might risk a ban and end up in jail.

I am not sure if I would agree with this issue of double standards although, as I have explained earlier, the issue of how far freedom of speech goes is something that is heavily debated. And Muslims are not the only groups trying to ban sacrilegeous items from the public domain.

3 comments.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkey in radical revision of Islamic texts

Posted on March 7th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkey in radical revision of Islamic texts
Turkey in radical revision of Islamic texts

By Robert Pigott
Religious affairs correspondent, BBC News

The scholars say they are returning to the original values of Islam

Turkey is preparing to publish a document that represents a revolutionary reinterpretation of Islam – and a controversial and radical modernisation of the religion.

The country’s powerful Department of Religious Affairs has commissioned a team of theologians at Ankara University to carry out a fundamental revision of the Hadith, the second most sacred text in Islam after the Koran.

The Hadith is a collection of thousands of sayings reputed to come from the Prophet Muhammad.

As such, it is the principal guide for Muslims in interpreting the Koran and the source of the vast majority of Islamic law, or Sharia.

This is kind of akin to the Christian Reformation. Not exactly the same, but… it’s changing the theological foundations of [the] religion
Fadi Hakura,
Turkey expert, Chatham House

Islam series: Modern roles

But the Turkish state has come to see the Hadith as having an often negative influence on a society it is in a hurry to modernise, and believes it responsible for obscuring the original values of Islam.

It says that a significant number of the sayings were never uttered by Muhammad, and even some that were need now to be reinterpreted.

0 comments.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkey in radical revision of Islamic texts

Posted on March 7th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkey in radical revision of Islamic texts
Turkey in radical revision of Islamic texts

By Robert Pigott
Religious affairs correspondent, BBC News

The scholars say they are returning to the original values of Islam

Turkey is preparing to publish a document that represents a revolutionary reinterpretation of Islam – and a controversial and radical modernisation of the religion.

The country’s powerful Department of Religious Affairs has commissioned a team of theologians at Ankara University to carry out a fundamental revision of the Hadith, the second most sacred text in Islam after the Koran.

The Hadith is a collection of thousands of sayings reputed to come from the Prophet Muhammad.

As such, it is the principal guide for Muslims in interpreting the Koran and the source of the vast majority of Islamic law, or Sharia.

This is kind of akin to the Christian Reformation. Not exactly the same, but… it’s changing the theological foundations of [the] religion
Fadi Hakura,
Turkey expert, Chatham House

Islam series: Modern roles

But the Turkish state has come to see the Hadith as having an often negative influence on a society it is in a hurry to modernise, and believes it responsible for obscuring the original values of Islam.

It says that a significant number of the sayings were never uttered by Muhammad, and even some that were need now to be reinterpreted.

0 comments.

Cartoon and Koran film part of Crusader war: Taliban | Reuters

Posted on March 7th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

Cartoon and Koran film part of Crusader war: Taliban | International | Reuters

By Sayed SalahuddinKABUL (Reuters) – Afghan Taliban militants have branded the reprinting of a satirical cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad in Danish newspapers and a film on the Koran by a Dutch politician as part of a “Crusader war” against Muslims.

The Islamic movement, which is leading an insurgency in Afghanistan against Afghan and foreign troops led by NATO and the United States, also called for aid for the Palestinians in their conflict with Israel.

“We see the publication of cartoons and insult of the Holy Koran as part of the Crusaders’ war,” the Taliban said in a statement posted on the group’s Web site.

The cartoon — one of 12 that prompted riots in many Muslim countries in 2006 — was republished by a number of Danish papers last month to show solidarity with the cartoonist after three men were arrested on suspicion of plotting to kill him.

Many Muslims consider any depiction of the Prophet offensive.

Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders is expected to release his film, thought to be critical of the Koran, later this month. Wilders has given few details, but in the past he has called the Koran a “fascist” book that incites violence.

The reprinting of the cartoon and the planned release of the film coincide with recent incursions by Israel into Gaza, where more than 120 Palestinian civilians have been killed.

The developments have angered many in the Muslim world and prompted a series of protests in Afghanistan, where demonstrators have demanded the expulsion of Danish and Dutch troops serving under NATO’s command.

The largest protest was held on Wednesday, when participants called on the Muslim world to provide arms and funds for the Palestinians. Some even indirectly threatened to join the Taliban insurgents, who were ousted from power in 2001 but remain active in the south and east of the country.

In the statement, the al Qaeda-backed Taliban also asked for help for the Palestinians.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants global institutions who preach democracy and human rights to the people of the world to condemn these atrocities of Israel and bring it to the International Criminal Court,” it said.

Afghanistan’s Western-backed government has called the republication of the cartoon an attack against Islam, and one official has warned it would feed the insurgents.

Several other Islamic countries have demanded that the release of Wilders’ film should be stopped, and Pakistan’s foreign ministry accused the Dutch politician of “propagating the politics of hate and promoting xenophobia”.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told Dutch television on Sunday he was concerned about the repercussions Wilders’ plans may have for troops serving in Afghanistan and for Dutch people and businesses elsewhere in the world.

(Editing by Alex Richardson)

© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved

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Cartoon and Koran film part of Crusader war: Taliban | Reuters

Posted on March 7th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

Cartoon and Koran film part of Crusader war: Taliban | International | Reuters

By Sayed SalahuddinKABUL (Reuters) – Afghan Taliban militants have branded the reprinting of a satirical cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad in Danish newspapers and a film on the Koran by a Dutch politician as part of a “Crusader war” against Muslims.

The Islamic movement, which is leading an insurgency in Afghanistan against Afghan and foreign troops led by NATO and the United States, also called for aid for the Palestinians in their conflict with Israel.

“We see the publication of cartoons and insult of the Holy Koran as part of the Crusaders’ war,” the Taliban said in a statement posted on the group’s Web site.

The cartoon — one of 12 that prompted riots in many Muslim countries in 2006 — was republished by a number of Danish papers last month to show solidarity with the cartoonist after three men were arrested on suspicion of plotting to kill him.

Many Muslims consider any depiction of the Prophet offensive.

Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders is expected to release his film, thought to be critical of the Koran, later this month. Wilders has given few details, but in the past he has called the Koran a “fascist” book that incites violence.

The reprinting of the cartoon and the planned release of the film coincide with recent incursions by Israel into Gaza, where more than 120 Palestinian civilians have been killed.

The developments have angered many in the Muslim world and prompted a series of protests in Afghanistan, where demonstrators have demanded the expulsion of Danish and Dutch troops serving under NATO’s command.

The largest protest was held on Wednesday, when participants called on the Muslim world to provide arms and funds for the Palestinians. Some even indirectly threatened to join the Taliban insurgents, who were ousted from power in 2001 but remain active in the south and east of the country.

In the statement, the al Qaeda-backed Taliban also asked for help for the Palestinians.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants global institutions who preach democracy and human rights to the people of the world to condemn these atrocities of Israel and bring it to the International Criminal Court,” it said.

Afghanistan’s Western-backed government has called the republication of the cartoon an attack against Islam, and one official has warned it would feed the insurgents.

Several other Islamic countries have demanded that the release of Wilders’ film should be stopped, and Pakistan’s foreign ministry accused the Dutch politician of “propagating the politics of hate and promoting xenophobia”.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told Dutch television on Sunday he was concerned about the repercussions Wilders’ plans may have for troops serving in Afghanistan and for Dutch people and businesses elsewhere in the world.

(Editing by Alex Richardson)

© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved

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Political violence in Dar Fur and the War on Terror – Mahmood Mamdani

Posted on March 6th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: (Upcoming) Events.

ISIM and Prince Claus fund are hosting a lecture by Mahmood Mamdani

Political Violence in Dar Fur and the War on Terror

17 April 2008 – 17 April 2008

Venue: De Glazen Zaal, Prinsessegracht 26, Den Haag
Time 3.30 pm
Country: Netherlands
Sponsor: ISIM and Prince Claus Fund
More information

Comments Off on Political violence in Dar Fur and the War on Terror – Mahmood Mamdani

C L O S E R – testing

Posted on March 6th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

C L O S E R

Playing a little bit with a new theme. Everything should be up and running by now. If you find any mistakes or problems, don’t hesitate to mention them here in the comments.

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As you may have noticed…

Posted on March 5th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

…the website still looks a bit boring if it is online at all. I would love to say that this is caused by our plans to release a groundbreaking, thought provoking film that will provide the world with shock and awe, and that we cannot say anything more about it but we will release tiny bits of information in the coming days in order to built up the tension. However,  we will stick to our core business of blogging about religions and their believers (and the people who have problems with that).

We are are working on the problems and when you read this we have moved to another host. As soon as the technical difficulties are solved, I will try to apply a new WP theme for this site, re-arrange the links, create a new emailform and include the old RSS from Mideast youth and CloseReading again.

There is a possibility however that in the coming days this website will be inaccessible again. Don’t worry, it is just temporary. In the mean time, sorry for the inconvenience.

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Gallup poll: A lot of good news and some bad news as well

Posted on March 3rd, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Uncategorized.

The Gallup World Poll continually surveys citizens in more than 140 countries which (they claim) represents 95% of the world’s adult population. A new report has been released:Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think This book is the product of the Gallup World Poll’s multiyear research study. Gallup posed questions that are on the minds of millions: Is Islam to blame for terrorism? Why is there so much anti-Americanism in the Muslim world? Who are the extremists? Where are the moderates? What do Muslim women really want?

On the Immanent Frame we can read a piece by John Esposito, one of the writers of the report. They do not only give a nice impression of the most important conclusions, but also of the research method and criteria and definitions they used:

How widespread is political radicalism?

The key question asked to demarcate moderates from the politically radicalized was whether the 9/11 attacks were completely justified and whether they have an unfavorable or favorable view of the United States. The vast majority, moderates, said the 9/11 attacks were unjustified. A significant minority, politically radicalized and thus potential supporters of extremism – 7% – said the attacks were completely justified and view the United States unfavorably. Identification as “politically radicalized” does not mean they commit acts of violence but that they are a potential source for recruitment or support for terrorist groups.

Defying the conventional wisdom, the politically radicalized are no more religious than moderates and on average more educated and affluent than moderates. Larger percentages of politically radicalized than moderates respond that they are more satisfied with their financial situation, standard of living, and quality of life, with 64% of the politically radicalized vs. 55 % of moderates believing their standard of living is getting better. They are also, on average, more optimistic about their personal future than moderates, more optimistic about their own lives. However, the politically radicalized are more concerned and pessimistic about world affairs and international politics regarding issues like U.S. hegemony, invasion, and dependency. Responding to an open-ended question, politically radicalized frequently cite “occupation/U.S. domination” as their biggest fear, while moderates most often mention economic problems.

[…]

The good news is that 9 out of 10 Muslims are moderates, another piece of good news for those optimistic about coexistence. However, if the 7 percent (91 million) of 1.3 billion Muslims today worldwide are politically radicalized and they continue to feel politically dominated, occupied and disrespected, the West’s opportunity to address these drivers of extremism will be as great as the challenge of succeeding.

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The Other Malaysia – The Fear of Holy Books by Farish Noor

Posted on March 3rd, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Uncategorized.

The Other Malaysia – The Fear of Holy Books
Written by Farish A. Noor

Not too long ago, a certain Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right Dutch Freedom party, caused a stir in that rather flat country by suggesting that the Quran should be banned on the grounds that it was a ?dangerous book? that spread the message of hate and violence. As the rather pointless and tiresome debate took its course, other right-wing politicians chipped in, suggesting things such as new laws that forbade the reading of the Quran in public, limiting the sale and dissemination of the Quran in Dutch society, controlling the number of Qurans being brought into the country, etc. Needless to say, Geert Wilders got what he wanted, which was to project himself yet again on the national stage as a rather loud and outlandish advocate of far-right causes.

[…]
Yet the question remains: If Muslims can get so worked up by the fact that some right-wing Dutch politician hungering for publicity can stir up a debate by demeaning the Quran, why is it that so many Muslims remain indifferent to how their fellow Muslims treat the holy texts of other faiths and belief-systems?

[…]
The remedies are primarily political ones, which include controls on hate-speech and fear-mongering by far-right demagogues like Wilders in Holland and other equally right-wing demagogues in other communities, including Muslim communities too. But all this can only work if we begin with the fundamental premise that sacredness is not something exclusive to ourselves and our own faith community. When Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists alike realise and respect the sacredness in the other, and drop the claim that they alone monopolise all that is good and holy; perhaps then we will be one step closer to recognising the fundamental humanity we share with each other ? whether we like it or not.

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Religionresearch is back!

Posted on March 3rd, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Uncategorized.

As you might have noticed this site and all the other Religionresearch sites were suspended. This was due to some bandwith-issues mainly caused by this blog. We are back now and temporarily in a stripped outlook. We will try to solve the issues but in the mean time you will have to settle for this.

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Creating the moral panic: Join the Caravan of Wilders

Posted on March 1st, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News, Public Islam.

Wilders film Fitna has once again focused our attention on the significance of religious beliefs and practices in conflict. Conflicts, has been shown abundantly in all kinds of studies, rarely only have an ethnic or religious origin alone. The religious and ethnic ties vary infinitely and have to be considered together with other potential bases for collective origins such as neighbourliness, national origins, and race, religion, and financial and political interest. The potential for mobilisation is therefore usually not only ethnicity or religion but the underlying processes are common to many other kinds of mobilisation. The appearance of a conflict that is primarily religiously or ethnically determined is based upon the interplay between those other relations and ethnic sentiment in a cause-and-effect-relationship. The importance of political entrepreneurs with regard to the relation between Muslims and non-Muslims is shown in various researches.

A political entrepreneur such as Wilders can call upon people to transcend their individual interests and instead move for a more shared interest based upon group solidarity. What happens is that people like Wilders but also others try to reduce the multidimensionality of relations by making one dimension (for example religion or ethnicity) appear all-important (and all-encompassing). Wilders does this for example in Fitna by claiming to expose the fascist nature of this book (and therefore of Islam).

Once us vs. them dichotomies are formed they usually reproduce themselves since their are costs in terms of vulnerability, loss of strength, loss of sense of belonging, anomie, weakness, when leaving the ingroup while staying provides a sense of safety and belonging, and social capital. People who have defined their group as civilized, free and superior will not easily blur the boundaries with the outgroup by attributing value to other qualities. Even successful attempts to minimize communal conflict may as a byproduct reproduce community solidarity.

(more…)

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The surprising truth about Rage Boy, America's hated poster-boy of Islamic radicalism | the Daily Mail

Posted on March 1st, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News, Public Islam.

The surprising truth about Rage Boy, America’s hated poster-boy of Islamic radicalism | the Daily Mail

By PATRICK FRENCH

Don’t you hate Islamic Rage Boy? ‘MoBlows’, writing on the Jihad Watch website, certainly does.

“I just want to put my fist down his throat,” he says. The ‘boy’ in question rose to prominence earlier this year when he was photographed at a demonstration in Srinagar, capital of Indian-administered Kashmir.

Later, he was spotted waving his fist at another camera during a protest against the awarding of a knighthood to author Salman Rushdie.

With his straggly beard and big shouting mouth, Rage Boy certainly looks like a threat.

His scary face now appears on boxer shorts and bumper stickers, and he scores more than a million results on Google.

Crazed: But the poster boy of Islamic radicalism has a very different story to tell when he’s at home with his mother

A regular spoof diary appears online in his name and he has come to stand for all that is most frightening about radical Islam.

But who is the real person behind the cartoon and what does he believe in? I travelled to Kashmir in search of the poster-boy of fundamentalism. (more…)

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