C L O S E R November 2009 Archives

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Swiss Minaret Ban or How Democracy, Secularism and Islamophobia threaten Democracy, Secularism and Religious Freedom

Posted on November 30th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: ISIM/RU Research, Multiculti Issues, Public Islam.

It is widely believed that secular democracy is the best way of managing diversity in a country; it guarantees freedom, peaceful relations and conflicts managed in a political arena. So we like to believe. In Switzerland the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) organized a referendum wanting to ban the construction of minarets because they symbolise a ‘political-religious claim to power‘ having no ‘religious significance‘. A clear secularist statement not completely at odds with European secularism that does not ban all religious symbols from public life but only ostentatious claims that apparently do not fit the existing status quo. The SVP’s proposal was accepted by a majority of the voters except in four cantons (Swiss is a confederation). A clearly not so secularist statement because other religious groups have no such restrictions, which makes it double strange because in this way the Swiss have given Islam officially an exceptional status which is quite remarkable since no European country has done that (in the case of Islam).

The minaret ban may be considered as something extreme that does not obey an enlightenment logic, we can see the same considerations in the case of (proposed) bans on the burqa/niqab that are discussed in several European countries. First of all, it concerns non-Islamic politicians discussing what particular ‘Islamic’ features actually are. For some women for example a burqa/niqab is not a symbol but a command or recommendation from God. It does not signify ones belief, it is part of practicing that belief. Also a political party discussing a minaret having no religious significance but a symbol of a political-religious claim means defining a particular feature. Second, although the rise of a secularist voice in Europe does effect Christian groups as well, the burden is on Islam and not on other groups. Thirdly, following from the previous one, secularism seems to have become a defining feature of European nationalism wherein political islamic symbols are to be rejected from the public domain in order to safeguard a particular culture. Fourth, at the same time protests of Muslims (and other religious groups) against for example Fitna and the Muhammad Cartoons or the posters of the referendum are labelled as an attack on the freedom of expression, seen as a typical difference between Muslims and Europeans. This produces a remarkable paradox. In order to uphold the secularized European society as a freedom loving tolerant society and a homogenous cultural other is created and dismissed as a violent, intrusive outsider. The minaret ban, for the proponents anyway, is an expression of the paradox but also produces the same paradox and as such sustains it. The credo of being intolerant against the intolerant is the logical explanation for that paradox that in the Netherlands is also used by Wilders’ PVV who also pleas for such a referendum in the Netherlands as does the Danish People’s Party leader Kia Kjaersgaard. In order to sustain the images of the irrational, angry Muslim particular key symbols of Islam are frequently targeted as signifiers of intolerance, any negative reaction from the side of Muslims ‘prove’ their standpoint (just watch how people will respond to the negative reactions from Muslim communities the coming days).

Therefore yes, the Swiss minaret ban is extreme for Europe but it is only an extreme outcome of a logic that has been apparent in Europe for several years now and that certainly not limited to Switzerland or extreme right parties. On the other hand we should lose sight of major opposition among non-Muslim Europeans as well who, no matter what their stance is towards Islam, are very negative about this development and who fear that democracy and secularism will eat itself when it becomes mixed with an explosive combination of nationalism and islamophobia.

UPDATE
Orthodox Christian party SGP submitted a motion, following the Swiss ban on minarets, urging restraint in building minarets in the Netherlands. According to the SGP building of minarets and mosques increases polarisation in Dutch society and, contrary to church towers, minarets to not fit the ‘cultural landscape’ of the Netherlands, produce ‘alienation’ and negatively affect Dutch identity. SGP also opposes ostentatious satellite dishes, building large mosques and publicly sending the call for prayer and asks for restraint in those cases as well. The motion was supported by Wilders’ Party for Freedom and Verdonk’s Proud of the Netherlands; conservative liberal VVD withdrew their support at the last moment because, according to them, this is a matter for local councils. The rest of parliament (a majority) opposed and the motion was rejected.
As such an interesting coalition between an orthodox Christian party (the other two Christian parties are in the government and opposed), a conservative liberal party VVD (secular), a populist-nationalist party (Verdonk) (secular) and an extremist party PVV (Wilders) also secular. To be clear, three secular parties but with different opinions and definitions on what secularism is or should be.

UPDATE:

Note that the SGP already filed the motion before the Swiss referendum (thanks to A el M to point that out to me)

Closing the week 48

Posted on November 29th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere.

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Why Conservatives failed the test on Islamic schools – Education News, Education – The Independent

Conservative Party officials made two basic errors in their attack on two schools said to be run by a radical Islamic group, it emerged yesterday.

During Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday and in briefings afterwards the Conservatives claimed there was no evidence that the schools had been registered or inspected by Ofsted, the education standards watchdog; they also said the schools had received money from an anti-terrorism fund. But yesterday the claims were beginning to unravel. The most obvious mistake was the allegation that they appeared not to have been registered or inspected.

Immigration and “impact” — Crooked Timber

Henceforth, research in the UK will be funded not just for its intrinsic quality but also for the benefits it is expected to bring to the wider society. Ministers and higher-education funding bureaucrats have been keen to point out that they don’t simply mean economic benefits and commercial spinoffs. No, they also want to reward research which makes a difference to public policy. Of course, I’d love it to be the case that senior politicians and civil servants read work in political philosophy and theory and, convinced by good arguments, adjust their ideas accordingly. But the cynic in me says that this isn’t what happens. Rather, the attitude that politicians have to research is to latch onto it when it supports the view they already hold and to ignore (or punish) it when it tells them something uncomfortable. Research that supports tighter border controls (or harsher drug laws) will have “impact” and research that favours more immigration or legalizing weed won’t. And the money will follow.

Why do fewer Arab women have jobs in Israel than Saudi Arabia? – Haaretz – Israel News

Why do fewer Arab women have jobs in Israel than Saudi Arabia?
By Himmat Zoabi

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz appears to have been unaware of some important facts when he said at a recent conference on discrimination that Arab society in Israel is partially responsible for the low levels of employment for Arab women.

Hijab Style: Hijab Style Exclusive: Interview with Irna Mutiara

Hijab Style Exclusive: Interview with Irna Mutiara

Yesterday I posted some of Irna Mutiara’s designs here, which were on the runway at Jakarta Fashion Week. Today, Hijab Style brings you an exclusive interview with Irna about her work in the Indonesian Islamic fashion industry

“It’ll just happen, whenever God knows you’re ready.” – washingtonpost.com

Last November, after 6 1/2 years together, Hagir Elawad’s boyfriend finally proposed. It was what she’d been so badly wanting, she says — “until it happened.”

DUBAI: Now, she can look pious in hijab and cool in her shades | Babylon & Beyond | Los Angeles Times

Put on a pair of gold encrusted BQ shades — the world’s first sunglasses especially tailored for piously dressed women in the Persian Gulf.

French rapper Diam’s is keeping it real with Islam – The National Newspaper

Rapper Diam’s has sold millions of CDs documenting the poverty and racism blighting urban France. But fame took its toll when she was hit by depression. Now recording again, she puts her recovery down to her Muslim faith. Colin Randall, foreign correspondent, reports from Paris

Al Jazeera English – Middle East – Pilgrim embarks on ‘lifelong dream’

The annual pilgrimage to Islam’s holy city of Mecca is mandatory for healthy Muslims at least once in a lifetime, if they can afford it.

For 42-year-old pilgrim Maryam Abdalla of Kenya, a mother of three and nurse at a government hospital, the journey has not been an easy one.

But after seven years of planning and praying, Abdalla says she is content with the feeling that she has accomplished one of her life-long dreams.

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Adow reports.

Muslim women seek even playing field in football | Football – Times Online

“It’s completely a matter of tradition and choice here — football and religion don’t cross each other,” Ozan Soykan, the liaison officer for the Turkish FA, said. “Women’s football is growing in popularity, just as men’s football is. Female spectators are increasing at games and in primary schools, it’s quite natural for six or seven-year-old girls to be playing among boys.”

CBC News – Canada – For Muslim women, respect cuts both ways

When you think of Buenos Aires you’re more likely to envision Catholic churches and Virgin Marys, not so much minarets and Muslims. But, much to my surprise, South America’s largest mosque can be found in Palermo, one of Buenos Aires’s most fashionable districts.

The King Fahd Islamic Cultural Centre is an enormous structure surrounded by sweet smelling jasmine flowers and heavy-duty security.

I hadn’t come to Argentina to go to mosque but out of a mixture of journalistic curiosity and tribal obligation I decided to pay a visit.

Ahmed Rehab: Hijab Case: Why Bigoted Battery Makes For A Hate Crime

Hijab Case: Why Bigoted Battery Makes For A Hate Crime
The Fort Hood massacre committed by Major Nidal Hassan was a national tragedy that took us all by surprise. It was quickly and widely condemned by the American Muslim community who were as shell-shocked and dismayed as anybody else, and who were additionally concerned about a potential backlash against those who happen to share Hassan’s faith, though not his crime.

It is no surprise that the usual culprits who have built careers out of inciting hysteria against Muslims saw this tragedy as an opportunity on a golden platter. The hate blogs and radio talk shows were quickly abuzz with familiar voices trying hard to extend Hassan’s guilt to every Muslim and the faith they practice .

Unfortunately, there are always the vigilante Joes and Janes out there who consume this stuff with little critical scrutiny and, in some cases, act upon it.

Such was the case a few days ago at a local grocery store in Tinley Park, Illinois.

Amal Abusumayah, a 28-year-old American mother of four young girls, was going about her usual shopping when she was randomly treated to a dose of derogatory comments about her faith and ethnic heritage; the offending woman, later identified as 54-year-old Valerie Kenney, referenced Fort Hood.

Amal tried to ignore the comments and proceeded to check out at the counter when she felt a sharp pull on her hijab — or headscarf.

Amal was “shaken up” and felt violated but did not know what to do. She followed the woman to the parking lot and called the police. She was not sure if she wanted to press charges that night, but later decided that it was something she owed to her daughters. They, like Amal, were born and would grow up in this country — as American as anybody else.

Hijab Style: Hijab Style Exclusive: Interview with Irna Mutiara

Hijab Style Exclusive: Interview with Irna Mutiara

Yesterday I posted some of Irna Mutiara’s designs here, which were on the runway at Jakarta Fashion Week. Today, Hijab Style brings you an exclusive interview with Irna about her work in the Indonesian Islamic fashion industry

‘Muslim suffragettes’ fight for mosque vote – Scotsman.com News

MUSLIM women have launched an audacious campaign to win the vote at Scotland’s biggest mosque.

Hijabtrendz.com| Hijab Style, Hijab Fashion, Hijab Style Blog, Muslimah Fashion, Hijab How to, Hijab Blog, Hijab Styles, Islamic Fashion, Abaya » Blog Archive » Getting searched by the secret service

Getting searched by the secret service

I’m not sure if it’s because of the hijab, but I do believe it must have been a factor in my getting searched by the President’s Secret Service.

When I was covering politics as a radio reporter, I was sent a few times to cover President George W. Bush when he was in Chicago. Coincidentally each time I was sent I was searched more than any of the other journalists in attendance.

How do I know this? Well because I asked my colleagues.

Ghada’s World: People Leaving Islam

I am posting this video on why Kimdonesia left Islam. I have never met the girl, but I thought her reasons were valid. There have been times when I have felt very much the say way, but I tend to be a very liberal thinker. Since my conversion to Islam, I have never thought as my family as infedials. We have a lot of different beliefs systems in my family for Christainity to Wiccan (Witch Craft) to Islam. Allah (God) has always has a strong place within my life, I have always prayed to a God, and there was a point in my life where I did question about my belief in a God.

There is no honour in ‘honour killing’ – ?? ??? ?? ???????

Depending on which school of thought one adheres to, Islam made room not only for the normal marriage but also for other associations between men and women, which may be consummated for various reasons including pleasure.

These arrangements may not be popular in certain Muslim communities nowadays but this does not change the fact that Islam is more tolerant of male-female relationships than meets the eye or than some would have us believe. Hence, the issue becomes not one of dishonour and immorality but of disobedience and control.

As humans, we tend to seek repositories in life to deposit issues in, and we behave towards those repositories in different ways, depending on the issues that we deposit in them. So, a wall or a building becomes holy because we deposit part of our reverence for the divine in these structures. Or, we may project evil into a group of people and seek to eradicate them. For a woman to become the repository of virtue for her family, she becomes an icon, and icons are images that we impose on a surface that never live up to our unreasonable expectations.

Dutch
hoeiboei: De expansie van de islam en de toekomst van Nederland

Er is weinig creativiteit voor nodig om te bedenken dat in de huidige tijd het omgekeerde heeft plaats gehad van wat er gebeurd is na de verovering van Mekka: de migratie is weer centraal komen te staan, en is uitgegroeid tot de belangrijkste strategie om de macht van de islam te vergroten. Het belang van bloedige strijd is verminderd. Migratie is sinds een kleine halve eeuw weer het effectiefste hulpmiddel van de expansie zoals het dat ook was in de eerste acht jaar (622-630) na de migratie naar Medina en voor de verovering van Mekka in 630.

Hoe christelijk is het om zich achter de PVV van Geert Wilders te scharen? – Trouw

Zoals de islam een licht ontvlambare, djihadistische kant kent (denk aan Al-Kaida, of de Taliban), heeft ook het christendom een onverdraagzame, militante zijde.

SGP: Dijksma deed dom en dwaas – Trouw

Dijksma zei: „Op school moet je mogen zijn wie je bent. In die zin is de school niet alleen de plek die fysieke veiligheid biedt; ook de geestelijke vrijheid dient er te worden beschermd. Op alle scholen zeg ik daarbij. Ook de islamitische en streng christelijke. Als kinderen daar bijvoorbeeld te horen krijgen dat het niet goed is om vrienden te zijn met mensen die niet gelovig zijn, kan dat niet door de beugel.” Dat kon Dijksma niet maken, vindt de SGP : „Met het op één hoop gooien van christelijke en islamitische scholen zet zij het christelijk onderwijs in een kwade reuk.”

nrc.nl – Opinie – Islamonderzoeker is geen overheidsdienaar

In de laatste tien jaar heeft het beleid, als gevolg van de aanslagen in Amerika en Europa en de problemen met jongeren in verschillende Europese steden, zich toegespitst op criminaliteit- en radicaliseringpreventie, veiligheid, en een grotere controle op het doen en laten van moslims. Radicalisering onder jonge moslims, confrontaties tussen bewoners in wijken en tal van andere kwesties worden primair beschouwd als integratieproblemen. Europese staten streven ernaar de islam te beteugelen en aan te passen aan nationale omstandigheden. Deze ‘domesticering van de islam’ is een beleidsprioriteit geworden in vrijwel alle landen van Europa.

Vanuit beleidsoogpunt is het misschien begrijpelijk dat overheden primair geïntegreerd zijn in integratievraagstukken en dat zij instrumenten willen ontwikkelen ter voorkoming van radicalisering en criminaliteit, maar onderzoekers moeten niet blindelings deze weg volgen, maar hun eigen onderzoeksagenda ontwikkelen.

nrc.nl – Opinie – Onderzoek naar moslimradicalisme is ook onafhankelijk onderzoek

Sunier’s kritiek impliceert een zware beschuldiging, namelijk dat radicalismeonderzoek niet onafhankelijk is. Onafhankelijkheid is één van de kernwaarden van wetenschappelijk onderzoek. Dit wordt ook geïllustreerd door het feit dat in de gedragscode van de Vereniging van Nederlandse Universiteiten (VSNU) onafhankelijkheid een van de belangrijkste criteria is. Het is dan ook meer dan verbazingwekkend dat Sunier geen enkel argument voor zijn aanklacht aanvoert. Louter het feit dat men in opdracht van de overheid onderzoek doet naar moslimradicalisme, is voor hem genoeg om de onafhankelijkheid van onze studies ter discussie te stellen. Laat ik daarom een aantal punten duidelijk maken

Expertdiscussies » Richten moslimonderzoekers zich teveel op radicalisme?

Wat vindt u? Is al die aandacht voor radicalisme onwetenschappelijk? Schept dat een verkeerd beeld van moslims? Of is er niets aan de hand en ontsluit radicalismeonderzoek vooral ook de gevallen die niet aan die definitie voldoen?

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Een grootse reis. Je bent wat je zoekt en de bedevaart naar Mekka

Posted on November 25th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Ritual and Religious Experience.

Vrijdag aanstaande wordt het Offerfeest gevierd. Het feest valt op de tiende dag van de maand van de Hajj, de islamitische bedevaart naar Mekka en één van de vijf zuilen van de islam. Iedere gelovige moet als hij of zij dat kan eenmaal in zijn/haar leven deze reis maken.

Eén van de mooiste hedendaagse verbeeldingen van de hajj vind ik de film Le Grand Voyage:
Le grand voyage – Cinema.nl

‘Waarom heb je niet gewoon het vliegtuig genomen?’ vraagt Reda aan het eind van Le grand voyage aan zijn vader. De twee hebben dan een zware autorit van Frankrijk naar Saoedi-Arabië achter de rug. Reda’s vraag illustreert de kloof tussen de generaties. Hij moet van z’n vader horen dat een pelgrimstocht naar Mekka de nodige moeite moet kosten. Maar de uitkomst van deze roadmovie is voorspelbaar: vader en zoon komen nader tot elkaar. De manier waarop dat gebeurt, ligt minder voor de hand.

Zie de trailer:

Het verhaal illustreert inderdaad de kloof tussen de generaties, het belang van de hajj voor de een individuele gelovige als Reda’s vader. Zijn vader de migrant in Frankrijk wil naar Mekka en wil dat zijn zoon hem brengt. Reda moet mee omdat zijn oudste broer ‘niet kan’. De islam heeft voor Reda echter een heel andere betekenis, maar kan uit respect en eerbied het ‘verzoek’ van zijn vader ook niet naast zich neerleggen.

Bedevaart
Wat is nu eigenlijk een bedevaart?
A Reis
Een bedevaart is een reis van A naar B (en terug). Dat kan in verschillende vormen:

Hijra: de migratie naar moslimlanden
Ziyara: bezoeken van de graven van overledenen
Rihla: reizen voor studie en andere doeleinden
Hajj: de pelgrimage naar Mekka

Reizen hoeft natuurlijk niet religieus te zijn. Arbeidsmigratie, vluchtmigratie, toerisme omvatten allemaal vormen van reizen.
B) Een reis is niet alleen een tocht van A naar B, maar omvat ook altijd een symbolische transformatie:
Hijra

de transformatie en beweging van de ziel van een toestand van corruptie, naar een van puurheid

Ziyara

de transformatie en beweging van ongeluk naar geluk in deze wereld en van verdoemenis naar redding in de volgende wereld

Vluchteling

Van politiek activist tot asielzoeker
Van vervolgde tot vrij persoon

Toerist

Van werknemer naar een persoon die zijn vrije tijd invult
Van burger naar klant
Van lokale naar regionale of nationale identiteit

3 Overschrijden en scheppen van grenzen
Met de symbolische transformatie door reizen zien we ook dat er symbolische grenzen overschreden worden nieuwe grenzen worden geschapen.
Hajj, ziyara en religieuze festivals bevestigen het idee dat voor God iedereen gelijk is en iedereen gered kan worden. Hierdoor wordt een religieuze grens geschapen die etnische en nationale grenzen overstijgt. Idealiter in ieder geval. De praktijk is vaak wat diffuser. Het verrichten van een bedevaart leidt ook tot statusverhoging. Economische mogelijkheden en zelfbewustzijn bepalen mede de mogelijkheden voor een bedevaart. De toename van vrouwen aan de bedevaart wordt mede verklaard door hun grotere economische zelfstandigheid en hoger opleidingsniveau dat zou leiden tot een toenemend zelfbewustzijn als moslima en als persoon met bepaalde rechten in de islam. Zeker bij de hajj komen mensen in aanraking met anderen uit allerlei windstreken. Deze diversiteit kan inderdaad leiden tot een groeiende identificatie als moslim (en daarmee alle verschillen overstijgend), maar de confrontatie met die verschillen kan ook leiden tot de conclusie dat moslims wel erg verschillen en nauwelijks iets met elkaar gemeen hebben hetgeen weer kan leiden tot een verminderde identificatie. Eén van de zaken waar men zeker mee in aanraking komt is nieuw religieus en politiek (en soms subversief) gedachtegoed onder bedevaartgangers. Wellicht één van de redenen om bedevaarten onder strenge controle te houden (naast de immense aantallen bij de hajj natuurlijk).

Tegelijkertijd kunnen bedevaarten ook grenzen overschrijden op zo’n manier dat ze juist groepen bij elkaar brengen. Kijk bijvoorbeeld het volgende fragment van hindoes en moslims in Jammu en Kashmir die het Holi-festival samen vieren:

Zoals gesteld is een bedevaart een reis van A naar B. Die tussenperiode (de eigenlijke beweging zeg maar) is een bijzondere periode door antropoloog Victor Turner ook wel ‘betwixt and between’ en ‘neither here nor there’ genoemd, gebaseerd op de theorie van antropoloog Van Lennep uit zijn beroemde boek Rites of Passage. Hij identificeerde drie fases in rituelen: De eerste fase, afscheiding, betreft symbolisch gedrag waarbij het individu afgescheiden wordt van een voordien vaste maatschappelijke status. Bij een reis het afscheid van de achterblijvers en het vertrek.
Tijdens de middelste fase wordt de ‘reiziger’ ontdaan van elke uiterlijke manifestatie van zijn rang of rol en betreedt een soort ‘liminale’ status tussen vroegere en toekomstige identiteiten. In de laatste fase overschrijdt het rituele subject de drempel en maakt in zijn nieuwe sociale of religieuze rol zijn herintrede in de maatschappij. Bij de bedevaart keert een persoon terug als (bijvoorbeeld) een hajj (iemand die de bedevaart heeft volbracht) hetgeen soms ook gepaard gaat met een verandering in religiositeit en uiterlijk. Maar het hoeft hierbij niet om puur religieuze zaken te gaan. Een bedevaart of een reis van welke orde dan ook kan ook te maken hebben met het zoeken naar authenticiteit, naar (het idee van) je ware zelf en de ‘authentieke bron’ van een religie of cultuur. De documentaire Holi Days belicht dergelijke vormen van pelgrimage. Het gaat daarbij om toeristen in Jeruzalem, Florence en Las Vegas, over hun verwachte ervaringen en de geleefde ervaringen. In Jeruzalem gaat het om mensen die zichtbaar en letterlijk geroerd zijn door de heilige plekken, terwijl anderen vooral op jacht zijn naar het mooiste souvenir om iets van de ervaring en herinnering aan de ervaring tastbaar te maken. In Florence zien we rijen toeristen die wachten om iets op te vangen van de prachtige schilderijen terwijl mensen buiten op jacht zijn naar (leren) merkkleding. In Las Vegas zien we mensen komen die op zoek naar de ervaring van ‘Parijs’, ‘de kanalen van Venetie” en deze proberen op te doen in Las Vegas. De transformatie die toeristen ondergaan, zo wil Holi Days laten zien, kan niet zo diepgaand zijn als de religieuze ervaring tijdens een bedevaart ook al zal het eerste wellicht wat platter (of gewoon profaner) aandoen. Zie hier de trailer:

De transformatie die mensen ondergaan tijdens een reis is misschien nog wel het duidelijkste zien in de road-movies en in romans als (natuurlijk) On the Road van Jack Kerouac. Een dergelijke roman is te zien als een ‘bildungsroman’ waarin de hoofdpersoon tijdens de reis transformeert (groeit, zich ontwikkelt, verbetert). Het genre van On the Road is sterk verbonden met de jeugdcultuur uit de jaren zestig waarin men de bekrompen jaren vijftig van zich wil afwerpen en daarvoor iets alternatiefs wil vinden zonder goed te weten wat. On the Road (“from one end of the country to the other…doing something so frantic and rushing about.”) gaat over het Amerikaanse landschap, over vrouwen, vrienden, jazz, ideeën over menselijkheid en mensheid. Het is een zoektocht naar levensinzichten en laat de ontwikkeling van vriendschappen zien die doorkruist worden door verlies en treurnis. Zie hier een fragment met een interview met Kerouac door Steve Allen waarin Kerouac op typische wijze een prachtige passage uit dit boek voordraagt:

Om terug te keren naar Le Grand Voyage, de vraag die Reda stelt aan zijn vader (en die hij wellicht al lang eerder wilde stellen maar pas op het eind is hij sterk genoeg en ver genoeg ontwikkeld ook in de relatie met zijn vader om die vraag te kunnen stellen) waarom ze niet met het vliegtuig konden gaan, is een wezenlijke vraag. Een vraag die op lichte mooie toon wordt beantwoord door een film als Finding Jack Kerouac. Zie de trailer:

Natuurlijk maakt een reis per vliegtuig de beleving toch wat anders dan vroeger te voet, per ezel, kameel of later de trein. Het doet echter aan het principe niets af. Bij een pelgrimage (religieus of toeristisch) gaat het niet alleen om het einddoel, maar ook om de reis ernaar toe. Het is de reis er toe die een groot deel van het transformatie proces bewerkstelligt. De complete reis (met vertrek en terugkeer) is te zien als een ‘rite de passage’ die mensen in contact brengt met de complexiteit en intensiteit van andere individuen, groepen en culturele repertoires die blijvend sporen nalaat.

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Closing the week 47

Posted on November 22nd, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere.

Most popular on Closer this week

If you want to stay updated and did not subscribe yet, you can do so HERE

Anthropology / Research
Mind Hacks: I only read it for the articles

When the swimsuit issue was the magazine with more articles, the guys said they valued having more articles to read and chose that one. When the bikini babes appeared in the publication with more sports, they said wider coverage was more important and chose that issue.

This, as it turns out, is a common pattern in studies of this kind, and crucially, participants are usually completely unaware that they are post-justifying their choices.

Remember Bhopal « Anthromodernity

It has been 25 years of denial, deceit, and injustice. The people who were injured when 40 tonnes of toxic waste, methyl isocyanate, leaked out from the US owned Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India has still not been compensated. Union Carbide was found to be faulted for the lack of safety at the factory which caused the disaster, and up to date the company refuses to take responsibility for their actions. I and many with me think that these actions are distasteful.

Plutocracy of blood? Afghanistan post-election « Islam, Muslims, and an Anthropologist

This model is something that the Afghan people have been, without real consultation, asked to test, accept and live with. Eight years of suffering have offered the great majority nothing tangibly better than the poverty they were used to, the violence, killing and rape they suffered before, as well as both a lack of security and real future.

From the Annals of Anthroman: The End of an Oprah

With all of these pots on the fire, Winfrey is probably betting on the fact that she’ll be even more influential after they shutter the doors to her studio show. I wouldn’t doubt it.

tabsir.net » We Are All Moors

The latest book by Anouar Majid, We Are All Moors: Ending Centuries of Crusades against Muslims and Other Minorities (University of Minnesota Press, 2009) provides a provocative thesis, suggesting that we examine the issue of Muslim minorities in contemporary Europe through the prism of history, specifically the treatment of the Moors (los Moros) in Spain. Here is a sample of his argument (from pp. 3-4).]

Indeed, anyone watching the events unfolding in Europe and the United States in recent years cannot help but be struck by the confluence of the two overriding concerns of these two continental states: the mounting anxiety over coexisting with Muslims and the seemingly unstoppable waves of illegal and nonassimilable immigrants. All sorts of explanations have been offerd about these twin elements fueling the global crisis — bookshelves are filled with books about Islam, minorities, and questions of immigration — but no one seems to be reading the intense debate over immigration and minorities who resist assimilation as the continuation of a much older conflict, the one pitting Christendom against the world of Islam. We are often being asked to ponder “what is wrong with Islam” and “what is wrong with the West,” as if these two abstract, ideological entities suddenly bumped into each other in their travels and were jolted by the shock of discovery. The West encountered an archaic Islam stuck int he primitivism of pre-modern cultures, whereas Muslims discovered a dizzying, fast-dissolving secular West that is guided by the fleeting fantasies of materialism.

ASA Globalog :: Why don’t more people make their own money?

What can anthropology offer someone who wants to understand money better?

Social Networking in Iran « media/anthropology

Inaugurating our new regular online-only feature Social Text invited pieces from scholars of Iran, new media, and visual culture, and asked them to think through the contradictory promise of technology.

Muslims and integration into something
Dutch government increases requirements for marriage migration and civic integration
Politics of Burka and Niqab Heat Up in Canada | Womens eNews

The Muslim Canadian Congress is lobbying to ban the burka and niqab, but authorities say apparel is a matter of individual expression. Young women who have adopted the clothes say they like the modest attire.

Middle school tests Va. Muslim girl’s decision to wear head scarf – washingtonpost.com

Boldly modest declaration of faith
For a Fairfax County teenager, middle school represents a major test of her decision to wear a head scarf as a sign of her devotion to Islam

Smar Abuagla is 13 years old and a typical American teenager. She also happens to wear a head scarf at school. In her own words, she describes how she arrived at this decision and how her classmates have come to regard her.

Last year when she made this walk to the bus stop on the first day of school, she was wearing black skinny jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt; her hair was in braids. But this year she’s a different Smar. In addition to looser, more modest clothing, her hair is completely hidden under a head scarf.

Meet MMW’s Fatemeh Fakhraie – elan: The Guide to Global Muslim Culture

Editor, writer, blogger, and now textbook author, Fatemeh Fakhraie is known for her smart critiques, keen analysis and unique perspective. But how did she get started as a writer? Where does she hope her career will go? elan steals a moment from the busy schedule of the woman behind Muslimah Media Watch to learn about her professional goals, the women she admires and her aspiration of becoming the next pleasant, pantsuit-wearing Wilhelmina Slater.

Debates
Arab Times :: Same-sex marriages organised in Kuwait

Two same-sex marriages were allegedly conducted in Kuwait recently, reports Al-Seyassah daily. According to the source, two Kuwaiti men got married in Salmiya, which coincided with another wedding ceremony between two women in Kheitan that lasted for three hours, adding both ceremonies took place in the presence of several homosexuals. The source wondered why this phenomenon is fast growing and publicized at a time when the country is embroiled in a grilling process over the inclusion of music in the schools curricula.

The WIP Contributors: The “democratic evolution” of the Kurdish Question:Turkish and Kurdish Mothers Campaign for Peace

“We mothers, whose hearts are burning, have come together so that there will be no more pain. We do not want our children to die.” These words belong to Nurten Ekinci, a woman who lost her son during his military service. Another woman, Sakine Arat, lost three children after they joined the pro-Kurdish terrorist organization, the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). “This war does not benefit anyone,” she says. “It has lasted for years, and it needs to end.”

Broaching Birth Control With Afghan Mullahs – NYTimes.com

The mullahs stared silently at the screen. They shifted in their chairs and fiddled with pencils. Koranic verses flashed above them, but the topic was something that made everybody a little uncomfortable.

“A baby should be breast-fed for at least 21 months,” said the instructor. “Milk is safe inside the breast. Dust and germs can’t get inside.”

It was a seminar on birth control, a likely subject for a nation whose fertility rate of 6 children per woman is the highest in Asia. But the audience was unusual: 10 Islamic religious leaders from this city and its suburbs, wearing turbans and sipping tea.

After Neda: “Now I Have Left Iran, I Can Cry Out To Break The Silence” – Neda soltan – Jezebel

In an interview with yesterday’s Guardian, Makan discusses his relationship with Neda, her political involvement, and the attempts by the government to suppress the truth following her violent death. Neda’s death was one of 80 reported during the protests against the presidential elections, but unlike the others, Neda died live on camera, in a clip that quickly traveled around the world, turning Neda into a symbol of reform-minded Iranians’ struggle. According to eyewitness reports, Neda was shot by a member of the religious militia. Her face, and the face of her death, became a central image in the protests, a rallying point for people all over the globe. But as the Guardian notes, “symbols destroy lives.” And Neda’s was not the last.

In the days following Neda’s murder, Makan spoke out to foreign news stations, before suddenly disappearing.

The Dutch government implements new admission and civic integration measures with respect to family migration, in particular marriage migration. Targeted measures prior to and after arrival should lead to fewer people with unfavourable prospects starting the process of family migration. Promotion of participation and the combating of fraud are central in this approach. It will improve the starting position of new family migrants, relieve society’s resilience, benefit integration and prevent children from growing up in a disadvantaged position from the start. This is written by Minister Van der Laan for Housing, Communities and Integration and Minister Hirsch Ballin and State Secretary for Justice in a letter to the Lower House, to which the Dutch Government has agreed.

nrc.nl – International – Integration in the Netherlands ‘largely successful’

The heated Dutch debate about ethnic minorities and their integration could leave the impression that immigration in the Netherlands has been a complete failure. But a government report released this week says some progress has been made in the past ten years.

World Jewish Congress

A hundred mosques and synagogues throughout North America and Europe took part in the second edition of twinning. The annual event involves meetings between local Muslim and Jewish congregations aimed at launching joint activities. The New York-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, founded by Rabbi Marc Schneier, has been organizing the event, which this year focused on saving the environment, protecting immigrants, combating anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, and fighting poverty. The Islamic Society of North America, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, the World Jewish Congress and the Canadian Association of Jews and Muslims supported the initiative.

News | Switzerland will not hear sound of Muslim prayer

Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz on Tuesday told voters that the call of the muezzin, or Muslim imam who calls people to prayer, would not sound in Switzerland, as he campaigned against a referendum motion seeking to ban the building of minarets.

“Muslims should be able to practice their religion and have access to minarets in Switzerland too. But the call of the muezzin will not sound here,” said Merz in a video broadcast to the nation.

The Swiss are due to vote on Nov. 29 on the motion launched by right wing groups to ban the construction of minarets

The mediatization of the “Islam debate” in The Netherlands and its agenda-setting capability | The World According To Tina Ehrami

This paper argues how the mediatization of issues related to the religion of Islam and its manifestations in the Dutch society effected the public debate and how political actors who portrayed themselves as experts, or who were portrayed by the media as experts used this political wave to put their issue on the political agenda.

t r u t h o u t | Women and the Struggle for Democracy in Iran: A Discussion With a Nobel Laureate

“The Iranian women’s movement is not simply demanding equal rights alone. It is demanding a larger universal reality, which is democracy.” – Shirin Ebadi, October 9, 2009

BBC NEWS | Africa | Saharan activist ‘facing court’

Saharan activist ‘facing court’
Aminatou Haidar on Hunger strike in Lanzarote
Aminatou Haidar’s supporters say the hunger strike has left her weak

A Western Sahara activist on hunger strike in Spain’s Canary Islands has been told to appear in court on public order charges, her supporters say.

The Feminist School

Unfortunately, although near five months have passed since the elections ,detainment of prisoners still continues , last month Hangameh Shahidi was released on bail only after months of imprisonment and Vahideh Molavi , Raheleh Asgarizadeh and Somayeh Rashidi who had been arrested on Nov.4th were released on third party guaranty .

Negar Sayeh is Still in Solitary Confinement

Negar Sayeh , journalist and in charge of Mousavi’s youth election headquarters in district no. 19 , was arrested on the last days of November . She is still kept in solitary confinement ,according to her mother has been allowed to call home only once , while they were allowed to meet her in prison once as well .

The Haifa Wehbe apology tour – The Majlis

First, Beyonce caused an uproar in Egypt with her insolent sex party.
Haifa Wehbe

Now Lebanese crooner Haifa Wehbe is in trouble for referring to black Nubians as “monkeys” in one of her most recent songs. A group of Nubian lawyers submitted a complaint to Egypt’s public prosecutor and asked that the song be banned.

Wehbe has apologized profusely; she insists the offending lyric was written by an Egyptian songwriter, who said “Nubian monkey” was “an innocent term for a popular children’s game.” (Good rule of thumb: Comparisons between black people and monkeys are never a good idea, even if you’re Haifa Wehbe or the New York Post.)

Dr Amina Wadud: For a Progressive Islam | The Jakarta Post

The Islamic scholar, author, imam and activist — Dr Amina Wadud — started life as Mary, a Methodist child of the US borderline Southern State of Maryland in 1952.

Descended from Berber, Arab and African slaves who once answered the Islamic call to prayer, generations later Wadud would be born to an open-minded Methodist pastor.

She grew up witnessing African Americans sawing off the shackles of racial inequality during an often brutal period of US history.

As a 16-year-old, Wadud would have watched in horror the assassination in Memphis of Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.

Perhaps it was this monumental tragedy in the formative years of an African American, who had tasted too often racism’s bitter fruit that led her in later life to work toward justice and equality with the foundation of that equality, housed in Islam’s sharia which translates as justice.

It’s Time to End Gender Segregation in Mosques « Muslim Reverie

The Qur’an teaches gender equality, and yes, women and men are different in many ways, but rather than limiting ourselves to roles based upon gender expectations, we should emphasize on celebrating and appreciating our differences. If we do not actively oppose the sexism and misogyny in our communities, it will persist and only move one step closer to becoming permanent.

Dutch

Bruggenbouwers » Aïcha en Kathleen in gesprek over het Offerfeest

Voor moslims én christenen is Abraham de gemeenschappelijke stamvader van het geloof. Beide religies kennen het verhaal van Abrahams’ offer. Maar welke betekenis geven zij hieraan? Aïcha en Kathleen willen vanuit hun geloofstraditie en -beleving betekenis geven aan dit verhaal. Aïcha Bouharras is een jonge Marokkaanse moslima en educatieve medewerker bij het Internationaal Comité. Kathleen Hoebregts is christen en werkzaam als pastor bij KAV Limburg. Ze gaan samen op zoek naar de diepere betekenis van het offer van Abraham.

Thijl Sunier wil voorbij integratiedenken « Standplaats Wereld

Het integratiebeleid ten aanzien van migranten met een islamitische achtergrond heeft zich in de laatste tien jaar als gevolg van de aanslagen in Amerika en Europa en de problemen in wijken van verschillende Europese steden toegespitst op criminaliteit- en radicaliseringpreventie, veiligheid, en een grotere controle op het doen en laten van moslims. Europese staten streven ernaar de islam te beteugelen en aan te passen aan nationale omstandigheden. Deze ‘domesticering van de islam’ is een beleidsprioriteit geworden in vrijwel alle landen van Europa.

Frontaal Naakt. Ongesluierde opinies, interviews & achtergronden » Islam kent mededogen

Het klopt dat je niet de letterlijke gulden regel tegenkomt in de Koran, maar wel vele variaties erop die op hetzelfde neerkomen en er staat wel tachtig keer dat God vergevend en barmhartig is, wat uiteraard impliceert dat van de mens wordt verwacht dat óók te zijn. Bovendien staat de gulden regel wel in een gezaghebbende hadith, volgens welke de Profeet stelt dat ‘niemand een gelovige is tenzij hij zijn naaste toewenst wat hij zichzelf wenst’.

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Integratie is kiezen voor Nederland en Nederland kiest voor integratie?

Posted on November 18th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Multiculti Issues.

VROM – Kabinet: ‘Integratie is kiezen voor Nederland en Nederland kiest voor integratie’

Kabinet: ‘Integratie is kiezen voor Nederland en Nederland kiest voor integratie’
17-11-2009

Een samenleving waarin iedereen meedoet en meetelt, wat hun afkomst, traditie of religie ook is. Dat is de samenleving waar het kabinet naar streeft, zo staat in de Integratiebrief. De ministerraad heeft op voorstel van minister Van der Laan voor Wonen, Wijken en Integratie afgelopen vrijdag ingestemd met toezending van de Integratiebrief aan de Tweede Kamer. In de brief schetst het kabinet het kader waarbinnen inmiddels maatregelen zijn genomen en dat sturend is voor nieuw beleid in de nabije toekomst.
Om de huidige problemen op te lossen is het volgende nodig:

Integratie vraagt om een keuze voor Nederland.

Remigratiewet wordt beperkt.

Van nieuwkomers mag een extra inspanning worden verwacht om zich een plek te verwerven in de Nederlandse samenleving.

Het kabinet houdt rekening met de spankracht van de samenleving.

Goede integratie vraagt een selectief migratiebeleid.

Parallelle gemeenschappen staan ontmoeting in de weg en zijn ongewenst.

De rechtsstaat is de basis voor samenleven.

Integratie vraagt volgens het kabinet om een keuze voor Nederland. Dat betekent beginnen met inburgering, meedoen, kansen pakken die er liggen en liefst ook zelf kansen creëren. Vanwege de verkeerde signaalwerking wordt de Remigratiewet beperkt.

Alle burgers zijn gelijkwaardig, maar van migranten mag een extra inspanning worden gevraagd om een plek te verwerven in de Nederlandse samenleving. Om hen te helpen geeft de Nederlandse samenleving ze de mogelijkheid in te burgeren, een plek te verwerven en kansen om zich te ontplooien. Veel mensen pakken die kans, met hen gaat het goed.
Spankracht samenleving

Het kabinet houdt rekening met de spankracht van de samenleving bij het opvangen van migranten die onvoldoende zijn toegerust voor een succesvolle toekomst in Nederland. De leefbaarheid in buurten en wijken is onder druk komen te staan, net als de spankracht van leraren, huisartsen, hulpverleners en politiemensen. Taal- en opvoedingsproblemen moeten worden opgelost, overlast en criminaliteit stevig en snel aangepakt.

Herhaling van achterstand moet worden voorkomen en een selectief migratiebeleid is nodig voor succesvolle integratie. Daarom heeft het kabinet grenzen gesteld aan de komst van migranten die onvoldoende zijn toegerust voor een succesvolle toekomst in Nederland. Er is extra aandacht voor de arbeidsmigratie uit de Midden- en Oost-Europese lidstaten van de Europese Unie, maar ook voor de komst van (asiel)migranten uit andere herkomstgebieden zoals Somalië, Irak en Afghanistan.
Jaarrapport Integratie

Uit het Jaarrapport Integratie 2009, dat tegelijkertijd naar de Tweede Kamer wordt gestuurd, blijkt dat de integratie van nieuwe Nederlanders langzaam maar zeker vooruit gaat. In het hoger onderwijs hebben studenten met een niet-westerse achtergrond een aanzienlijke inhaalslag gemaakt. Ook de arbeidsdeelname van nieuwe Nederlanders is in tien jaar met 10 procent gestegen en het aantal ondernemers nam met ruim 40.000 toe. Het jaarrapport laat echter tegelijkertijd zien dat de arbeidsmarktpositie van jongeren van niet-westerse herkomst verslechtert en dat woon- en schoolsegregatie eerder toe- dan afneemt.

Ontmoeting is van groot belang. Waar mensen samen werken aan oplossingen, krijgen zij iets gemeenschappelijks, en mede daardoor ontstaat ook ruimte voor verschillen. Parallelle gemeenschappen zijn ongewenst.

De rechtsstaat vormt bij dat alles het fundament van de samenleving. Hij is de basis voor het samen leven en biedt een ieder bescherming. Alle burgers hebben gelijke rechten en plichten. Alle burgers zijn gelijkwaardig; mannen en vrouwen, homo’s en hetero’s, gelovigen en ongelovigen, oude en nieuwe Nederlanders. Er is aanleiding voor de overheid in te grijpen als er haat wordt gezaaid of andersdenkenden worden gediscrimineerd.
Rechtsstaat

Het staat burgers vrij hun leven in te richten naar eigen religieuze en culturele inzichten, zolang dat binnen de grenzen van de rechtsstaat is en zij hun plichten als burger nakomen. Die kernwaarde vereist echter ook respect voor andere religies en andere gelovigen, maar ook voor hen die niet geloven of degene die afstand neemt van zijn/haar geloof. Plaats voor andere rechtssystemen is er niet. De democratische rechtsstaat is het enige uitgangspunt voor het Nederlandse recht.

De wereld is in beweging en Nederland verandert mee. De samenstelling van de bevolking is veranderd. Het kabinet vindt het belangrijk dat burgers onderlinge problemen en dilemma’s van die veranderende samenleving noemen en bespreken. Dat debat mag confronterend worden gevoerd zolang er wordt gestreefd naar het oplossen van de onenigheid en niet naar het op de spits drijven van tegenstellingen en het uitsluiten van groepen.
Beleidslijnen en maatregelen

Wegwerken van achterstanden bij de inburgering. Inzet op toename van de aantallen inburgeraars, weg van de vrijblijvendheid. Maar ook verbetering van de kwaliteit van de inburgering en inzet op inburgering op de werkvloer.

Aanpak probleemjongeren waaronder die van Marokkaanse en Antilliaanse afkomst: ze geven problemen en hebben problemen. Crimineel gedrag stevig aanpakken door repressief beleid en perspectief bieden om volwaardig mee te doen.

Maatregelen huwelijks- en gezinsmigratie. Bevorderen dat mensen toegerust naar Nederland komen en bestrijden van huwelijksdwang.

Bevorderen van gemengd wonen en weloverwogen woonruimteverdeling.

Tegengaan segregatie in het onderwijs via pilots met aanmeldprocedures, dubbele wachtlijsten en voorlichting over schoolkeuze.

Aanpak discriminatie en vergroten weerbaarheid van slachtoffers.

Extra aandacht voor jeugdwerkloosheid onder migrantenjongeren.

Integratie arbeidsmigranten uit Midden- en Oost-Europese lidstaten van de Europese Unie, onder meer door taalcursussen via werkgevers. Start van onderzoek naar mogelijkheid verplichte inburgering binnen de Europese Unie

Mijn antwoord? Ik ga het nog maar eens herhalen: Weg met de integratie.

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Anthropology Day Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: Religion = Conflict?

Posted on November 18th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: (Upcoming) Events, anthropology.

“Anthropology, the study of human cultures and societies, is exceptionally relevant as a tool for understanding the contemporary world, yet it is absent from nearly every important public debate in the Anglophonic world. Its lack of visibility is an embarrassment and a challenge” (Thomas Hylland Eriksen 2006, ix).

Anthropologists from the VU took up this challenge three years ago with the organisation of a seminar entitled “beyond relativism”, with Thomas Eriksen himself as the chief guest and speaker. Since then we have made this into a yearly event. The main ambition of the yearly anthropology day is to use our anthropological knowledge to shed more light on topical issues or problems which are dominating public debates.

Anthropology Day 2009 – VU University Amsterdam, 26 November 2009

The Anthropology Day 2009 will address the complex relations between religion and conflict. In public debate, religion – especially Islam – is considered a prime source and trigger of contemporary conflict. Plenty of anthropological research shows that such ideas make a caricature of reality and lack context. Then what do we have to say about that complex connection? How can anthropologists contribute to this fascinating and important theme?

A kick-off by Martijn the Koning and Johan Roeland about Dutch youth in search of a pure religion will be followed by lively debate. Three exciting workshops on Muslims in Europe, fieldwork in conflict situations, and the role of religion in the Middle East conflict will give ammunition for further discussion. The day will be concluded with a screening of film material shot by three former master students on their experiences as anthropologists in the field.

Programme

Morning

Venue: Metropolitan, Z-007 / Z-009

09.45 – 10.00 Welcome by Kim Knibbe (chair)

10.00 – 10.10 Coffee

10.10 – 11.00 Lecture by Martijn de Koning and Johan Roeland:

“God is everywhere”: Religious vitality and conflicts in Dutch society

11.00 – 11.15 Coffee break

11.15 – 11.30 Reactions from Birgit Meyer and Daan Beekers

11.30 – 12.15 Plenary discussion

12.15 – 13.30 Lunch break

Afternoon

W&N Building: C-648 / C-629 / C-640

13.30 – 15.30 Workshops

15.45 – 16.45 Films and Drinks! (Metropolitan Z-007 / Z-009)

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Seminar and inaugural lecture Thijl Sunier Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: Islam in European Societies

Posted on November 18th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: (Upcoming) Events, anthropology.

VISOR seminar on Islam in Europe

Date: 27th of November 2009

Place of venue

VU University, Metropolitan building, room Z?009.

Buitenveldertselaan 3, Amsterdam

Conv. Thijl Sunier (FSW?SCA / VISOR)

Research on Islam in Europe

In Europe there is a long tradition of research on Islam. The Netherlands that once ruled over the second most populous Muslim country of the world is renowned for its extensive archives and its world famous library of Islamic documents. Also in other European countries, particularly in France and the UK, there is an extensive academic infrastructure for the study of Islam in the world. The study of Islam in Europe has, not very surprisingly, long been a small and relatively marginal branch in this field. Indigenous Muslim populations in the Balkans and Spain, small numbers of Muslim colonial subjects prior to WW II, constituted a minor topic.

In most of the studies on the immigration of people with an Islamic background that were published in the 1960s and 1970s, culture, let alone religion, was hardly an issue. When Islam was a topic for research, it was mainly conducted by philologists and students of Arabic and Islamic theology who were familiar with the Islamic sources. Many considered Islam in Europe a simple extension of their work in the Islamic world proper. Only in the late 1970s the religious background of immigrants began to attract social scientists and historians, but it was only after the so?called Rushdie affair in 1989 that the study of Islam in ‘the West’ began to gain momentum and that the field emerged. One of the reasons was that the governments in most countries in Western Europe thought it necessary to develop policies to deal with religious diversity and to adapt religious newcomers to society. In the course of the 1990s integration and the governance of Muslim minorities in Western European nation?states became a dominant topic.

Gradually the integration of Islam developed into a theoretical and methodological paradigm with its own assumptions, research question, research agenda and mode of knowledge production. Integration into nation?states became an almost self?evident feature of studies on Islam in the West. It not only became the dominant mode of research, research grants more and more converged around issues of accommodation and governance with all the epistemological implications it entails. As a consequence many recent developments such as globalization and transnationalism, the emergence of new media, the merging of Islam with all kinds of popular culture, but also the spread of radical forms of political Islam and the shifts in the modes and styles of religious leadership are molded according to the integration paradigm.

Given the fact that research on Islam in Europe is presently growing at a considerable pace, it is necessary to reflect on this vastly expanding field, to discuss the outlines and assumptions that determine research agendas. Although reflections on the research field takes place continuously, a thorough methodological and epistemological discussion has hardly been made explicit. By organizing this meeting, it is my aim to contribute to this academic reflection. This not only is a necessary activity, it is also highly relevant and urgent given the changes that take place both in the field and in the academic community that focuses on Islam in Europe.

Outline of the seminar

The seminar will be divided into three sessions. In each of the sessions a specific issue, that bears relevance to particular epistemological, methodological and thematic aspects of the study of Islam in Europe, will be addressed and discussed.

1. Islam in Europe or European Islam

The discussion about the future of Islam in Europe often centers on the question whether or not a ‘European Islam’ will develop. Yet, the quest for a ‘European Islam’, that is supposed to be an Islam that fits within a European enlightened self?identity is one of the most sensitive and topical issues of the public debate in the past decades. Many experts on Islam seriously criticize this notion of Islam because it is too much charged with implicit assumptions on the characteristics of Islam in Europe. Moreover, European Islam refers to doctrinal and normative aspects. Other modes of expression and production of religiosity are generally ignored. This session will deal with the question how this highly important issue can be addressed in a multidisciplinary research agenda.

2. Integration, politics and nation?states

The second session will deal with the question how research on Islam in Europe should relate to the political normative conditions of nation?states, particularly the integration policies. Should research agendas on Islam reflect important developments taking place with respect to these policies, or should research institutes develop their own agenda? What modes of knowledge do these different agendas produce? In other words, how can we transform the undeniably important question how Muslim communities relate to local, urban, national, European and global contexts and realms, without rendering one of these dimensions a more important or more natural status than the others?

3. The comparative dimension

For a long time the study of Islam was considered as a field in its own right, firmly in the hands of experts on Islamic theology, Arabic and adjacent disciplines. Also social scientists have long treated Islam as unique field of inquiry that could hardly be compared to other religious traditions and practices. This is gradually changing. The question addressed in this session is how a genuine comparative approach can be attained and how a comparative research agenda should look like. What can, for example, be learned from studies on other religions? What are the methodological implications?

In each of these sessions, short statements of 10 minutes will be presented, followed by a discussion with the participants and the audience.

Chairs

Birgit Meyer (Professor of Anthropology, VU University Amsterdam)

t.b.a

Schedule

9.00? 9.20 Welcome and coffee

9.20? 9.30 Opening speech by Martien Brinkman (Professor of Theology,

academic director of the VU Institute for the Study of Religion, Culture

and Society, VISOR)

9.30? 11.00 Session 1: Islam in Europe or European Islam

Statements by:

Ruud Peters (Endowed professor of Islamic law, University of

Amsterdam)

Annelies Moors (Professor of Anthropology, University of Amsterdam)

Nico Landman (Associate professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies,

University of Utrecht, Netherlands)

Edien Bartels (Assistant professor of Anthropology, VU University

Amsterdam)

Maurits Berger (Professor of Islam in the West, University of Leiden,

Netherlands)

Discussion

11.00? 11.15 break

11.15? 12.30 Session 2: Integration, politics and nation?states

Statements by:

Steve Vertovec (Director of the Max?Planck Institute for the Study of

Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen, Germany)

Stefano Allievi (Professor of Sociology at the University of Padua, Italy)

Ruba Salih (Senior lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of

Exeter, UK)

Markha Valenta (Research fellow urban religion, University of

Amsterdam)

Discussion

12.30? 13.30 Lunch

13.30 – 14.45 session 3: The comparative dimension

Statements by:

Marjo Buitelaar (Associate professor of contemporary Islam,

University of Groningen, Netherlands)

Nadi Fadil (Research fellow, University of Leuven, Belgium)

John Eade (Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Roehampton

University, London)

Additional participants:

Martijn de Koning (Research fellow, University of Nijmegen)

Loubna el?Morabet (Research fellow, University of Leiden)

Lenie Brouwer (Assistant professor of Anthropology, VU University

Amsterdam)

Stella van de Wetering (Assistant professor of Islamic theology,

VU/CIT Amsterdam)

Discussion with the participants and the audience.

Inaugural lecture Thijl Sunier (Professor of Islam in European Societies)

Beyond the domestication of Islam in Europe – A reflection on research on Islam in European Societies

Time: 15.45

Venue: Aula, main building VU University

Reception afterwards

1 comment.

MOI Studiedag Het Menselijk Lichaam

Posted on November 17th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: (Upcoming) Events, Misc. News.

De laatste jaren staat het Lichaam in toenemende mate in de belangstelling van wetenschappers. Feministische, antropologische, filosofische studies hebben hun aandacht opnieuw gericht op theoretische en empirische kwesties over het lichaam en belichaming. ZemZem en de MOI besteden gezamenlijk aandacht aan dit thema. In december komt ZemZem jrg. 4 nr. 3 uit met als thema het lichaam.

Op 4 december 2009 organiseert de MOI haar jaarlijkse studiedag over het menselijk lichaam in relatie tot cultuur en religie. De MOI is de vereniging van en voor iedereen die zich door werk, studie of belangstelling bezighoudt met het Midden-Oosten en de islam. De vereniging stelt zich ten doel de wetenschappelijke bestudering van het Midden-Oosten en de islam te bevorderen en kennis hierover te verspreiden en toegankelijk te maken voor een breed publiek. Tijdens de studiedag komen thema’s aan bod als kleding, lichaamsbeweging, besnijdenis en hymenreconstructie en islamitische biomedische ethiek en orgaandonatie.

De studiedag is open voor iedereen die geïnteresseerd is in deze thema’s. De toegang bedraagt 2 euro. ZemZem-abonnees en MOI-leden hebben gratis toegang.

Meer informatie: info@moistudies.nl (zie ook Zemzem: www.zemzem.org)

Tijdstip: 10.00-15.00 uur

Plaats: Universiteit van Amsterdam, Kloveniersburgwal 48, VOC-zaal (Bushuis)

Programma:

9. 45: Zaal open

10.00: ALV MOI

10.30: Opening Martijn de Koning

10.40: Mohammed Ghaly – Orgaandonatie en moslims in Nederland: De opvattingen van moslimgeleerden en de recente socio-politieke debatten

11.10: Edien Bartels – Besnijdenis en maagdenvliesherstel

11.40: Vragen en discussie

12.15 – 13.00: Pauze en Lunch

13.00: Jasmijn Rana – Betekenis van verdedigings- en vechtsporten voor Nederlands-Marokkaanse meiden

13.30: Annelies Moors – Onderzoek naar vrouwen en niqaab in Nederland

14.00: Vragen en discussie

14.30: Sluiting & borrel

0 comments.

On religious participation and (economic) security

Posted on November 17th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Important Publications.

It is often expected that with an increasing level of education Muslim slowly or gradually will fit the secularized pattern of the dominant native Dutch people. An expectation that is part of the idea that modernization leads secularization. Modernization weakens the bond and identification with religious institutions, a relationship in particular mediated by education. In an upcoming article in the American Journal Of Sociology two Dutch sociologists, Stijn Ruiter and Frank van Tubergen, question the idea that increased education leads to decreased religiosity. In a recent article on NRC Handelsblad they discuss their findings.
nrc.nl – International – Features – Insecurity not education determines church attendance

The long-standing theory has been that the higher educated someone is the less religious he will be. But new research in 60 countries proves otherwise. It is economic security that leaves churches empty.
By Dirk Vlasblom

Atheist scientists have been shouting it from the rooftops: anyone who has enjoyed a higher education has no business being in a church. Many European sociologists have offered a rising level of education as the explanation for dwindling church attendance. Now two Dutch sociologists are countering this theory.

Stijn Ruiter, senior researcher at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement, and Frank van Tubergen, a professor of sociology in Utrecht, compared ‘religious participation’ in 60 countries. They found no effect of education, but instead came to the conclusion that social insecurity and the environment people grow up in have a significant impact. Results of their research will be published in the American Journal of Sociology next month.

Resilience of religious America
There are two sides in the religion debate. Most European sociologists say modernisation leads to secularisation. But Peter Berger, the American who came up with that theory, later recanted it after the US proved how an economically developed society with a high level of education can indeed remain very religious.

US scientists subsequently came up with the religious market theory. They say minimal regulation of religion and maximum competition between congregations make for more appealing ‘products’. The cacophony of evangelists and the radical separation of church and state would explain the resilience of religious America.

Ruiter and Van Tubergen do not choose sides in this debate. They tested elements of both theories for 60 countries listed in the World Values Survey. From the market theory they examined the idea that more state regulation of religion leads to lower church attendance. Modernisation, the central concept from the other theory, they dissected into three elements: modernisation through higher education, economic security and changes in social relationships by urbanisation and individualisation. They used church attendance as a measure of religiosity.

The focus on church attendance instead of (including) religious beliefs as a measure of religiosity can be questioned. It seems, at least, rather limited. Both researchers address that issue

Other research has shown that highly educated people are indeed less religious. But at the same time they tend to be more actively involved in political parties, associations and thus also in churches. Less educated people are more religious, but less active about it. There is a higher rate of churchgoers amongst educated believers than low-skilled believers.”

The two other elements of modernisation can be explained: economic (in)security and the nature of social relationships. “Economic uncertainty has enormous impact on church attendance. In countries with large socio-economic inequality, the rich often go to church because they too could lose everything tomorrow, as was clear from the dramatic collapse of Enron and Lehman Brothers.”

They also point to the relevance of social networks including parents, friends, neighbours and so on and a shift in social networks can lead to a change in church attendance. Their study may explain two examples of increased or persistent religiosity in ‘modern’ regions: the US and Eastern Europe. It appears that in particular welfare states leads to a decrease in church attendance (such as in the Netherlands) while economic uncertainty results in a stable or increasing church attendance. A claim that is not new by the way, also for example Erik H. Bax has proposed such a claim. It is an interesting claim also with regard to Muslims because in popular debate it is being argued that the Dutch welfare state suffocated and enclosed migrants into their own community, sometimes (together with multiculturalism) explaining why they haven’t integrated and are ‘still’ religious. It seems to me however that the ‘welfare state explanation’ takes the welfare state as a static given. The Dutch welfare state retrenchment is a fact however and I do wonder how that influences religiosity; church attendance keeps declining although cutbacks have led to a partial retreat of the welfare state.

The fact that the authors focus on church attendance makes generalizing their conclusions for Muslims difficult. Although in some studies visiting the mosque is used as an equivalent to church attendance this is problematic. In particular women and youth do not often visit the mosques but that does not mean that they are not religious. Studies find a lower attendance of religious meetings for women and men and higher educated people. It is not at all clear how this is related to social and economic security, although most studies point out that after 9/11 religiosity was increasing and Islam became more important for people; the debates on Muslims may have led to an increased experience of a lack of security and stability and more negative prospects for the future.

There is another problem with using church attendance or visiting a mosque as a measure of religiosity. Church attendance is based upon a pastoral definition of religiosity; a definition that serves what churches and religious institutions find important. Visiting the mosque is more or less the same but also based upon the image of religiosity of first generation men. Such definitions are to be explained and should not be (without questioning them) an analytical tool to measure religiosity.

Notwithstanding these objections Van Tubergen and Ruiter’s research provides interesting take in the angle of a relation between economic security and religious participation is one that (although not new) needs to be explored and discussed further.

0 comments.

Fort Hood bloedbad in 11 vragen

Posted on November 15th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Some personal considerations.

Zomaar wat vraagjes over het bloedbad in Fort Hood

Wat maakt dit bloedbad eigenlijk zo bijzonder, we kennen dergelijke schietpartijen in de VS toch al langer?
Waarom is het van belang om te vermelden dat de dader een moslim is en psychiater is zolang de precieze link met de daad vooral berust op speculatie?
Kunnen we wel spreken van Jihad en/of terrorisme als we nog niet weten wat de intentie/motivatie van de man was?
Wat betekent voor het voor de claim (van wie dan ook) dat het gaat om Jihad en/of terrorisme en de daarbij behorende intentie/motivatie als het gaat om een moslim die psychiater was, bevreesd was voor uitzending, met regelmaat het mikpunt van pesterijen was en bevreesd was voor uitzending?
Is terrorisme gelijk aan Jihad (en vice versa)?
Geeft de terugkerende claim dat hij ‘Allahu Akbar’ geschreeuwd zou hebben tijdens de daad, dat hij Korans uitgedeeld zou hebben en dat hij moslim is, genoeg grond om te spreken in termen van Jihad, radicale moslim en terrorisme?
Ervan uitgaande dat er sprake is van een doelbewuste aanslag op een militair doel, kunnen we dan eigenlijk nog wel spreken van een terroristische aanslag?
Er wordt voortdurend gewezen naar een tekst van Nidal Hasan op internet waarin hij het werk van zelfmoordterroristen zou verdedigen…maar zijn er niet meer mensen op internet die gebruik maken van die naam?
Aangezien de media direct na de aanslag vooral uitblonk in roddel, achterklap en speculatie over het aantal schutters, het lot van de schutter, de achtergrond van de schutter, het gebruikte wapen, enz, betekent dit dan dat iedereen die vanaf het begin de verslaggeving heeft gevolgd het slachtoffer is van misinformatie en vooral verwart is geraakt?
Wat is de functie van de creatie van heldin (of held?) na dit bloedbad?
Wat betekenen bovenstaande punten voor de positie van moslims in het leger en in de samenleving in het algemeen?

0 comments.

Closing the week 46 – Featuring Fort Hood and Nidal Hasan

Posted on November 14th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere.

Most popular on Closer this week:

If you want to stay updated and did not subscribe yet, you can do so HERE

Featuring Fort Hood shooting and Nidal Hasan
Fort Hood Shooting Is Proof That [Insert Your Favorite Cause Here] « MediaElites

The shooting at Fort Hood yesterday should be all the evidence the [MSM/wingnuts/gun nuts/PC police] need to finally [close our borders/make tighter gun laws/end the wars/racially profile]. I have had it with [liberal elites/the NRA/Neocons] telling me this country has no problem with its [Muslims/guns/border security/mental health of our military]. It is high time [real Americans/real patriots/We The People/the few sane people left in this idiot country] take action.

Is Ft. Hood Like Columbine? By Columbine’s Dave Cullen – NurtureShock Blog – Newsweek.com

The Ft. Hood perpetrator appears pretty transparent. The “obvious” factors include:

* His religion
* His ethnicity
* The ridicule he endured for each
* His profession as a soldier
* His profession as a psychiatrist
* His exposure to guns
* Relentless exposure to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in his patients
* Opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
* Imminent deployment there

We have heard a lot of facts related to each of those factors already. I expect that most will turn to be true. Historically, we get the what right pretty fast. But we have a terrible record on why.

The Meaning of Fort Hood – The Opinionator Blog – NYTimes.com

The attempt to sort out the meaning of the murderous actions of Maj. Nidal Hasan has consumed numerous blog cycles since Thursday. Does Hasan’s rampage signal an internal jihadi threat we’re ill-equipped to thwart, or was it just another meaningless moment of American lone-gunman violence?

Ft. Hood and the Clash of Civilizations: Security vs political correctness revisited | Marc Lynch

Since the Ft Hood atrocity, I’ve seen a meme going around that it somehow exposed a contradiction between “political correctness” and “security.” The avoidance of Nidal Hassan’s religion out of fear of offending anyone, goes the argument, created the conditions which allowed him to go undetected and unsanctioned in the months and years leading up to his rampage. American security, therefore, demands dropping the “political correctness” of avoiding a confrontation with Islamist ideas and asking the “tough questions” about Islam as a religion and the loyalty of Muslim-Americans.

This framing of the issue is almost 100% wrong. There is a connection between what these critics are calling “political correctness” and national security, but it runs in the opposite direction.

Focusing on Fort Hood Killer’s Beliefs Is an Easy Out to Avoid the Deeper Reasons for the Massacre | | AlterNet

It’s hard to pinpoint what’s the most shocking thing about Army Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan’s shooting rampage in Fort Hood, Texas.

I’ll start with this: There’s nothing all that groundbreaking about it.

Condemnations by Muslims
What Does Islam Have to Do with Fort Hood?

this idea that blacks/gays/Latinos/insert religious persuasion must take responsibility for whatever evil other blacks/gays/Latinos/insert religious persuasion do

The Tragedy of Nidal Hasan’s Fort Hood Shootings: Media Discipline & Muslim Condemnations | MuslimMatters.org

My frustrations were exacerbated, both by some of the news coverage (though I have something positive to say about their initial reporting) and by the Muslim community’s reactions. In contrast to the initial reporting and punditry, I believe that Muslim community’s handling of the issue leaves much to be desired.
Clearly, condemning the killing of unarmed people in a non-combat situation is the right thing to do.

However, why do we have to do it as Muslims?

This is an issue of common humanity.

Muslims in Western Armies
Indigo Jo Blogs » Hypocrisy of praising Nidal Hasan

I’ve always wondered what this guy was doing in the Army myself; I woudn’t advise any Muslim in his right mind to join the armed forces in any western country. Since the outbreak of the Bush Wars, I have even turned down jobs which have involved dealing with the military. How anyone can stomach living on base with people hostile to their religion and even race is beyond me.

In Light of Ft. Hood Shootings (Nidal Hasan): Growing Religious Influence in the Military & PTSD | MuslimMatters.org

Instead of pointing fingers at the imaginary Muslim fifth column, it is more relevant to discuss what would push a man to commit a treacherous act, not to justify it, but rather to prevent another serviceman from committing a similar act, perhaps a Jew or an atheist or other non-Christian, someone similarly frustrated and harassed, as Nidal allegedly was.

onwards, muslim soldiers? – City of Brass

The bottom line is that the Qur’an provides enough rationale to either permit or forbid a muslim from being in the military, depending on the interpreter’s bias (and sure enough muslim scholars in the West tend to rule muslims may serve, whereas scholars from muslim nations find the opposite). Ultimately, it falls upon the muslim’s own conscience as to whether they can serve their nation.

Kamran Pasha: A Muslim Soldier’s View from Fort Hood

Richard shared my views, and when Hasan attempted to rationalize suicide bombing in a conversation, Richard told him in no uncertain terms that suicide is forbidden in the Qur’an (4:29). An argument ensued, and then an Islamic scholar who was present told Hasan that Richard was right. Suicide cannot be defended under traditional Islamic law, regardless of efforts by some modern scholars to rationalize it. Hasan was unhappy to hear this point of view, and the men decided to change the topic.

I asked Richard whether he believed that Hasan was motivated by religious radicalism in his murderous actions. Richard, with great sadness, said that he believed this was true. He also believed that psychological factors from Hasan’s job as an army psychiatrist added to his pathos. Hasan had spent months listening to horror stories from returning soldiers about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it had hardened his position on these wars. The news that he would be deployed overseas to Iraq, to a war that he rejected, may have pushed him over the edge.

But Richard does not excuse Hasan. As a Muslim, he finds Hasan’s religious perspectives to be fundamentally misguided. And as a soldier, he finds Hasan’s actions cowardly and evil. Hasan was not being sent into combat – he would have been working in a secure office in the Green Zone far away from the life and death dangers that Richard and his fellow combat veterans face every day. For Richard, a Muslim convert and patriotic soldier, Hasan’s actions were those of a sinner and a villain, one who will be held accountable by the U.S. justice system in this world, and by Allah in the Hereafter.

Listening to Richard’s perspective, I felt many emotions. Sorrow that good men and women like him will now have to defend their patriotism from those who want to use one madman’s actions to target an entire community. Pride that Muslim soldiers like Richard continue to do their duties with honor, despite the two worlds they are forced to straddle.

Muslim Americans Must Obey U.S. Laws; Nidal Hasan Disobeyed Islamic Doctrine | loonwatch.com

There is, according to these anti-Muslim bigots, a conspiracy by Muslim Americans to overtake the country from within. The tactics to do so can be non-violent (”Stealth Jihad”) or overtly violent (such as 9/11 or the Fort Hood Massacre), but the goal is the same: to overthrow the U.S. government, rip the Constitution to shreds, and enact Sharia (Islamic law) in the West. It is for this reason, you–the average American Joe–need to fear your Muslim neighbor.

The Covenant of Security

But experts of the Islamic legal tradition say differently. The Islamic religion commands believers to obey the laws of the land they live in, even if it be one ruled by nonbelievers. Muslim jurists consider citizenship (or visa) to be a covenant (aqd) held between the citizen (or visa holder) and the state, one which guarantees safe passage/security (amaan) in exchange for certain obligations (such as obeying the laws of the land); covenants are considered sacredly binding in Islam. The Quran commands:

The BBC have an article interviewing a Muslim who is training to join the British Army. The soldier’s comments illustrate the dilemma that Muslims will face if deciding to join the army: you’ll be accommodated, get your halal food and place to pray, as long as you’re also willing to shoot down your brethren in faith.

Support
Breaking News! Imam al-Awlaki: Nidal Hassan Did the Right Thing – Islamic Awakening Forums

Nidal Hassan is a hero. He is a man of conscience who could not bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people. This is a contradiction that many Muslims brush aside and just pretend that it doesn’t exist. Any decent Muslim cannot live, understanding properly his duties towards his Creator and his fellow Muslims, and yet serve as a US soldier. The US is leading the war against terrorism which in reality is a war against Islam. Its army is directly invading two Muslim countries and indirectly occupying the rest through its stooges.

An Officer & a Gentleman

Major Nidal Hasan M.D.

An officer and a gentleman was injured while partaking in a preemptive* attack.

Get Well Soon Major Nidal

We Love You

We do NOT denounce this officer’s actions,we do however apologize for the following acts committed by our country:

Bay of Tonkin

The East Timor Massacre by USA Supported Suharto

1902 Samar Massacre in the Philippines by the USMC

1,000,000 Dead Iraqis

Afghani & Pakistanis Killed by the USA

Starvation of Africa & Rape of it’s Resources by the USA

Support of the Brutal “Israeli” Occupation Entity

Etc. Etc.

Debating
Short Open Letter to Anwar al-Awlaki « other|matters

Shaykh, I disagree with you that Nidal Hassan is a hero. He is not anything close to being a hero.

If he had this alleged problem with being a Muslim and American soldier, he should have resigned. He should have gone AWOL. If his plan was to kill American soldiers, then he is obviously a fool for having spent so many years in the military to do what he did. Further, if his plot was to kill American soldiers, he is an even bigger fool because it will not stop any wars and — if anything — it will result in the death of more Muslims.

But, he is not a hero or a fool.

The American Muslim (TAM)

If he was harassed because of his religion, if he had an unhappy family life, if he wanted out of the military, if he had had a change of heart and did not want to serve in Afghanistan or Iraq – none of this changes the fact that what he did was criminal. He could have asked for conscientious objector status. Even if the Army was not following their own protocol and refused to let him resign his commission, he could have gone to jail rather than go overseas, or he could have gone AWOL and taken his chances – at least that would not have hurt so many others. Maj. Hasan betrayed his country, he betrayed his military oath, he betrayed his medical oath, he betrayed his religion.

Another shooting in America « Peace, Bruv

Any Muslim in the US army must at some point feel the need to reconcile between his faith, the brotherhood of Islam that his faith entails, and the fact that the institution he is serving is day in day out fighting against his brothers in faith.

If i was the head of the army, i wouldn’t take a chance on recruiting a Muslim soldier who today joins the army when he is lax with his faith, then tomorrow his mind clicks, his loyalties rearrange, and its God at the top and not Queen and country.

The Hypocrisy of Those who Support Nidal Hasan | MR’s Blog

It is shocking to see Muslims praising and calling Nidal Hasan a hero. According to to their own leaders and teachers, Nidal Hasan is a kafir. Anyone who joins the US military is no longer a Muslim. In fact Nidal Hasan is a murtad. Now all of a sudden he is a mujahid in prison. He is a hero. He is worthy of being praised.

Media

Did Nidal Malik Hasan Telegraph His Shooting Spree? « MediaElites

We should really, really keep in mind the possibility that Nidal Hasan may not be as uncommon a name as the average American might assume. Still, an interesting comment was made by a “NidalHasan” on May 20, 2009 on a document published on the document hosting service, Scribd.com. The document was titled, “Martyrdom in Islam vs. Suicide Bombing.” Regarding the content of the document, “NidalHasan” wrote the following:

There was a grenade thrown amongs a group of American soldiers. One of the soldiers, feeling that it was to late for everyone to flee jumped on the grave with the intention of saving his comrades. Indeed he saved them. He inentionally took his life (suicide) for a noble cause i.e. saving the lives of his soldier. To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. Its more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause. Scholars have paralled this to suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers. If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off guard that would be considered a strategic victory. Their intention is not to die because of some despair. The same can be said for the Kamikazees in Japan. They died (via crashing their planes into ships) to kill the enemies for the homeland. You can call them crazy i you want but their act was not one of suicide that is despised by Islam. So the scholars main point is that “IT SEEMS AS THOUGH YOUR INTENTION IS THE MAIN ISSUE” and Allah (SWT) knows best.

Emphasis was added. Again, the name could have been a complete coincidence, but it’s hard to ignore at the moment, considering the psychological insight offered in the comment above and how the bolded portion raises a few hairs on the back of the neck when you consider that a Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly killed and injured a total of 43 people at Fort Hood today. If you are a different Nidal Hasan currently googling your name and freaking the fuck out and you were the guy who made this comment, let us know.

Pickled Politics » Double standards over Fort Hood attack

To recap: a deranged lone gunman at a US military base, who happened to be a soldier there and a Muslim, shot several army soldiers and wounded others. Apparently, before he started shooting he shouted ‘Allah Hu Akbar’ (God is great). But there is no proof that he was influenced by al-Qaeda or any other terrorist groups.
And yet […]

The Islamopundits
Multiculturalism kills | The Spectator

More evidence of America’s Jihad Denial Derangement Syndrome. It turns out that fellow students of the army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan who murdered 13 and wounded dozens more in a jihadi attack on Fort Hood had complained to the faculty about his anti-American propaganda – but were too afraid to file a formal complaint for fear of being accused of prejudice

Michelle Malkin » The massacre at Fort Hood and Muslim soldiers with attitude

Those of you with long memories will remember all those who came before Hasan. Here is my column from March 2003 on Muslim soldiers with attitude:

Sgt. Asan Akbar, a Muslim American soldier with the 326th Engineer Battalion, had an “attitude problem.”

According to his superiors and acquaintances, Akbar’s attitude was bitterly anti-American and staunchly pro-Muslim. So how did this devout follower of the so-called Religion of Peace work out his attitudinal problems last weekend?

Jihad at Fort Hood – by Robert Spencer | FrontPage Magazine

Major Hasan’s motive was perfectly clear — but it was one that the forces of political correctness and the Islamic advocacy groups in the United States have been working for years to obscure. So it is that now that another major jihad terror attack has taken place on American soil, authorities and the mainstream media are at a loss to explain why it happened – and the abundant evidence that it was a jihad attack is ignored.

The Muslim Brotherhood and Fort Hood – by Jamie Glazov | FrontPage Magazine

Yes. The murders by Malik Nadal Hasan at Ft. Hood, TX are not a ‘lone wolf incident’ as being described by most media organizations. Hasan had been taught the ideology that is being advocated by hundreds of Islamic scholars and Imams in the U.S. We as a country can continue to deny there are numerous Islamic leaders and their supporting organizations such as CAIR, ISNA, MSA, and MANA, to name a few, who advocate killing innocent men, women, and children whom they allege ‘oppress Islam.’

Hot Air » Blog Archive » An Army officer’s outrage over Fort Hood

Yet here we have Nidal Hasan, who explicitly “associated with” Anwar al-Aulaqi, a figure that American intelligence suspects of operational involvement in 9/11, who yelled “Allah akbar!“ as he shot more than 50 people and killed 14 of them, and who repeatedly told his colleagues that the US had declared war on his faith and that suicide bombings could be justified. Does the media connect the dots the way they attempted with conservatives who espoused such radical thinking as federalism? No.

Misc.
If I were Taliban’s Advisor | Truth Spring

Listen up Government of Pakistan. If I were a Taliban advisor, this is what I would advise them;

Somatosphere: The Berlin Wall as metaphor and diagnosis

A more thorough discussion of the anthropological literature on postsocialism–as it relates to issues of medicine, health and science will have to wait, but at the moment I’d like to highlight a couple of interesting articles which examine the Berlin Wall specifically as a construct in psychological discourse. In “The Berlin Wall on the Therapist’s Couch” and “Constructions of the Berlin Wall: How Material Culture Is Used in Psychological Theory,” sociologist of science Christine Leuenberger has written about the psychological sciences in Germany have used the Wall as a means of understanding the basis of individual distress and as a metaphor for social malaise.

Teaching Anthropology: Tell me about your mother: how Jewish is she?

Interesting article at the NY Times about the legal battle brewing in the U.K. over determinations of “Jewishness” in school admission processes: “Who is a Jew?” is the central question. And the courts have tripped over the thorny issue of the inherent discrimination in the us/them reality of some religious faiths. When does religious faith become ethnic identification? For orthodox Jews ( at least those in decision-making positions at some schools): not when your mother has converted and not when she has converted Progressively. Ethnic discrimination foul, according to the British Courts.

Op-Ed Contributor – 20 Years of Collapse – NYTimes.com

TODAY is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. During this time of reflection, it is common to emphasize the miraculous nature of the events that began that day: a dream seemed to come true, the Communist regimes collapsed like a house of cards, and the world suddenly changed in ways that had been inconceivable only a few months earlier. Who in Poland could ever have imagined free elections with Lech Walesa as president?

However, when the sublime mist of the velvet revolutions was dispelled by the new democratic-capitalist reality, people reacted with an unavoidable disappointment that manifested itself, in turn, as nostalgia for the “good old” Communist times; as rightist, nationalist populism; and as renewed, belated anti-Communist paranoia.

The Queen’s College

Neda Agha-Soltan Graduate Scholarship

Neda Agha-Soltan

The College is delighted to announce that, thanks to two generous gifts, it has been able to establish a graduate scholarship in Philosophy in memory of Neda Agha-Soltan, the 27-year-old Iranian philosophy student who was killed in Tehran on 20 June during the protests over the outcome of the 2009 Iranian presidential election.

Commenting on the scholarship, the Provost, Professor Paul Madden, said, ‘Oxford is increasingly losing out to its competitors in the race to recruit top graduate students. Donations such as those that have enabled us to create the Neda Agha-Soltan Scholarship are absolutely vital for us to continue to attract and retain the best young minds.’

The scholarship provides the amount of money required to pay the College’s graduate fee. All students accepted by the College for the M.St., B.Phil. or D.Phil. in Philosophy are eligible for consideration for the Scholarship, but preference is given to those of Iranian nationality or extraction.

The first holder of the scholarship is Arianne Shahvisi, who has just joined the College and is studying for an M.St. in the Philosophy of Physics. Arianne writes that ‘It is a great honour to be the first student to receive the scholarship in the memory of Neda Agha-Soltan, which is particularly meaningful to me, being a young woman of Iranian descent, also studying philosophy. In accepting the scholarship, I extend my sincere condolences to the Agha-Soltan family, and hope that in succeeding in my studies at Oxford, I can do justice to the name of their brave and gifted daughter.’

Life sentence for killer of ‘veil martyr’ Marwa al-Sherbini – Times Online

A Russian-born German who stabbed to death an Egyptian woman in a courtroom was given Germany’s highest possible sentence for murder yesterday — 15 years’ jail with no chance of early parole.

The case enraged the Arab world, in particular Egypt, with street demonstrators and commentators blaming Germany for encouraging Islamophobia. The victim, Marwa al-Shirbini, 31, a pharmacist, has been hailed as a “veil martyr” because she stood up against the assailant, Alexander Wiens, 28. A fatwa has been pronounced on Wiens and the trial in Dresden was held under extraordinary security, with the courthouse cleared and 200 armed police encircling the room.

“We find you bear a particularly heavy burden of guilt,” said Judge Birgit Wiegand. The phrase is German legal language indicating that Wiens will not be considered for early release. Fifteen years constitutes a life sentence.

Living out her faith | StarTribune.com

In her home country of Morocco, Aicha Ech Channa has been condemned for her work. But Wednesday in Minneapolis, she received praise and the $1 million Opus Prize.

A former social worker, Ech Channa is the founder of an organization that helps unwed mothers, an effort that Islamic extremists decry.

She is the first Muslim to win the Opus award. The annual humanitarian award from the Minnetonka-based Opus Prize Foundation goes to unsung heroes for their faith-based acts of compassion.

Creationism, Without a Young Earth, Emerges in the Islamic World – NYTimes.com

Creationism is growing in the Muslim world, from Turkey to Pakistan to Indonesia, international academics said last month as they gathered here to discuss the topic.

Dutch

De Koude oorlog en de islam – Trouw

Even leek Nederland in de zorgeloze jaren negentig terecht te zijn gekomen in een wereld van vrijheid en blijheid, waarin het Nederlandse poldermodel ten voorbeeld strekte voor de wereld. Die opleving is was van korte duur geweest. De gevoelens van ongemak over globalisering en de multiculturele samenleving die al in de jaren negentig aanwezig waren, namen het afgelopen decennium sterk toe.

De polarisatie die de opkomst van de islam in Nederland teweeg heeft gebracht lijkt zo gezien een welkome nieuwe tweedeling. Met de islam is opnieuw een macht gekomen om je tegen af te zetten en je eigen identiteit tegenover te stellen. Dat gebeurde ook in Amerika, vooral onder president Bush.

De nieuwe vijand is wel minder grijpbaar en afgebakend dan de Sovjet-Unie en het communisme in de tijd van de Koude Oorlog. Nederlanders kunnen niet zo helder positie kiezen in dit nieuwe spanningsveld en dat moeten ze ook niet doen. De wereld is diffuser geworden en een scherpe tweedeling is niet zo gemakkelijk te maken als toen. Verlangen naar de Koude Oorlog is prima, maar voor de toekomst biedt het geen perspectief.

De Standaard Online – Het water is veel te diep

De sterkte van beide boeken is dat ze de intellectuele en sociale diversiteit binnen de moslimgemeenschappen laten zien, en dat ze evoluties die vaak als een bedreiging worden gezien, duiden als een normale politieke dynamiek. Een aantal kernpunten van de joods-christelijke mantra — dat de islam uniek is en kwaadaardig, dat alle vrouwen er onderdrukt worden en enkel vrij kunnen worden als ze die Koran verscheuren — worden duidelijk weerlegd, ja zelfs wat belachelijk gemaakt.

De zwakte ligt in de manier waarop er gepraat wordt over die verlichte tegenstander. Die wordt voorgesteld als machtiger, onredelijker en, o ironie, homogener dan hij is. Zoveel aandacht er is voor de verschillen tussen jihadistische en dociele salafisten, voor de nuances binnen het islamitische feminisme en de internationale context waarbinnen een en ander plaatsvindt, zo weinig is er voor de posities aan de andere kant. Cliteur, Hirsi Ali, Doornaert, Scheffer, Barnard, Wilders of Dedecker: het is allemaal één pot nat. De verschillen tussen de vrijzinnige, de conservatieve, de nationalistische, de christendemocratische of de liberale filosofieën: onbelangrijk. Provocatieve columns staan op gelijke hoogte met beleidsteksten, een wat feller verwoord citaat geldt al snel als een algemene teneur.

Opvallend is, bijvoorbeeld, dat geen van de drie boeken reageert op analyses die meer het centrum opzoeken.

De beschavingsmachine.

Epo, 168 blz., 16 .

SAMI ZEMNI

Het islamdebat,

Epo, 224 blz., 20 .

NADIA FADIL (e.a.)

Een leeuw in een kooi.

Meulenhoff/Manteau, 232 blz., 19,95 .

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Public Anthropology – 10 Years from Researchpages to Closer (1999/2000 – 2009/2010)

Posted on November 9th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: anthropology, Blogosphere, Headline, ISIM/RU Research.

Introduction: a fantastic, time-consuming, idea
In 1999, when I just had started my Ph.D project in Gouda, I had a fantastic idea. An idea so fantastic that in the next 10 years I would dedicate a huge amount of time to sustaining and developing it. Too much time perhaps because sometimes it destroyed my time to sleep. The idea was that I would launch a website about and for my research and that also dealt with all kinds of issues related to it. Certainly not the first anthropology site (that is as far as I know CSAC Ethnographics Gallery) but I do think it was one of the first of an individual anthropologist and the first Dutch anthropologist website. It started out as a ‘normal’ website called Researchpages. It does not exist anymore and I lost a copy because of a recent computercrash. It took me until April 2001 to have a real website and although not updated anymore it is still working.

In the course of 2002 and 2003 I developed a weblog that initially was only one of the parts of the whole website. Since March 2004 the weblog is hosted at Religionresearch.org, an initiative set up with several colleagues from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (note to myself…this also means that Religionresearch.org has a five year anniversary): Peter, Marten and Johan. After 2006 the weblog became the most important part of the site and i decided not to update the other parts anymore but to include more and more in the weblog. Furthermore the site had changed from a linkdump to a mix between linkdump, research reports and personal accounts and early attempts to analyze particular developments, themes and issues.

C L O S E R
Why the name Closer? One of my colleagues at ISIM said at one point that the name suggest (physical) intimicacy. And she was spot on. Because when you ethnographic research (and in particular in the way of my PhD research) you become quite intimate with people and you have a look in their daily private lives, thoughts and acts. It also suggests a closer look at issues and developments we do not immediately understand.

In the beginning Closer was somewhat out of mainstream blogosphere and also out of the anthropology blogosphere. From 2008 onwards but (after a break for which I’m still not going to tell you the reasons behind it) in particular from March 2009 I have tried to link up with the growing anthropology blogging community. In particular Open Anthropology, Media Anthropology and Antropologi.info provide interesting and thought-provoking entries I often link to.

What do I want with Closer? Closer can be seen as my contribution (with all the strong and weak points that come with it) to a public anthropology. Public anthropology is not easily to define but let me refer to Robert Borofsky, quoted on Zero Anthropology:
What is Public Anthropology? « ZERO ANTHROPOLOGY

Public anthropology engages issues and audiences beyond today’s self-imposed disciplinary boundaries. The focus is on conversations with broad audiences about broad concerns. Although some anthropologists already engage today’s big questions regarding rights, health, violence, governance and justice, many refine narrow (and narrower) problems that concern few (and fewer) people outside the discipline. Public anthropology seeks to address broad critical concerns in ways that others beyond the discipline are able to understand what anthropologists can offer to the re-framing and easing–if not necessarily always resolving–of present-day dilemmas. The hope is that by invigorating public conversations with anthropological insights, public anthropology can re-frame and reinvigorate the discipline.

There are two main principles of public anthropology (that also distinguishes it from applied anthropology):

Public accountability
Attempting to understand the structures that frame and restrict solutions to problems

Craig Calhoun in a recent essay poses two important questions for public social science (H/T ZeroAnthropology and Sexuality and Society):
Public Sphere Forum » Blog Archive » Calhoun

First, what is the relationship between effective participation in public discourse and the maintenance of more or less autonomous academic fields with their own standards of judgment and intellectual agendas? Second, what is the relationship between “public intellectual” work, informing broad discussions among citizens, and “policy intellectual” work informing business or government decision makers?

As Calhoun explains it is not only about reaching a broader public. It is not only about spreading your knowledge which would amount to ‘showing off’ with little bearing on public issues. It is about producing ‘better social science’ that addresses public issues, tests particular social science hypothesis and informs both scientific and public debates. Social scientists should therefore engage with issues that are part of the public debate at that moment (what Calhoun calls ‘real time social science’) based upon reseach already done in the past (even before it came to be a public issue) or by collecting new research material in which the public debate taking place is incorporated. This is important and researchers should not shy away from it (as happens now sometimes, also by me) but there is a risk of course that the public debate and policy concerns determine the research agenda. It would compromise the neutral position of researchers (certainly when dealing with Muslims and Islam which is a highly politicized topic) but it would also compromise one of the great advantages of doing scientific research: the ability to work on particular topics for a long time. Combining both, Calhoun explains:
Public Sphere Forum » Blog Archive » Calhoun

They may be studied in more immediate ways related to current policy dilemmas or in terms of larger and longer lasting patterns. Social science produces public knowledge when it provides historical or comparative context to grasping particular configurations of such issues as well as when it evaluates the results of particular policies.

Calhoun continues by stating that public science and addressing public issues is not just giving answers to questions the public has. It is as much, or even more, about questioning why particular issues are addressed in the way they are addressed by particular people and what the consequences of that are. How are particular issues and the way they are debated related to (changing) historical and cultural contexts, what is taken-for-granted and what does it mean? In my opinion this is (or at least should) should be the focus of this blog and has informed the change from my website Researchpages to Closer. In this sense public anthropology is not the same as applied anthropology.

Who is the public?
One important question to ask, is this blog anthropology in public or public anthropology? Both I hope. And judging by the list of my frequent readers the public of this blog is very mixed: anthropologists, policy-makers, journalists, students, fellow bloggers and (for me very important – see principle 1) my research subjects. This blog, as are other means of publication, provides a channel for dialogue with the social science community but also with other publics for social science knowledge consisting of journalists, policy-makers, politicians, researchgroups, students, movements’ activists, and others (cf. Calhoun).

It is in particular the input provided by research subjects that has proven to be valuable and opening up your research to the people you study, is an important part of doing research. Rex asks at Savage Minds:
Is it unethical to say something about someone that they cannot understand? | Savage Minds

Do anthropologists have a moral obligation to make their work accessible to the people they are writing about? The answer, to me, is an obvious ‘yes’.
[…]
So: is it ethical in principle to say things about people that they cannot understand (technical work) or that is written in a genre they don’t care for or ‘get’ (disciplinarily-defined beauty)?

I fully agree with him. If we do not make our work accessible to the people we write about, we might as well lock or ourselves in our ivory tower and throw away the key. This means that anthropoligists should write better: clear and accessibly. Furthermore, when you do research among a group in a society in which you live yourself and the topic most likely will lead to some headlines in the newspaper, it is foolish to think that you can avoid the group about who you write. If you do not engage with them, they will engage with you and your research in the comments sections of newspapers, blogs and online communities. Many people in my current research project have read my PhD thesis, there have been discussions about it in chatrooms in which I present for my current research and several people emailed me, contacted me in the chatrooms and on MSN wanting to discuss my book and the publicity about it. Opening up your research in fact already begins at the initial stage when you have to explain to your informants what you are doing and why you are there where they are. In my experience, the conversations that follow from this are not a good a way of improving your ‘translation’ skills but also provide relevant input for your research. The same can be said about the questions people asked after reading my book and articles.

As good public science indeed can produce better social science because the public is allowed to question and test the hypothesis of the researcher and even the significance of the whole research. For a very good example see Brigt Dale at the Occational Blog featuring the debates at other blogs based upon interviews with six anthropologists at antropologi.info. This is also the reason why I have chosen not to delete the sometimes very hostile, vile and rude comments on particular posts because I believe also those comments to represent an important take on the issues I address.

Most Commented

Other noteworthy posts in this category include:

Islamizing Europe – Muslim Demographics (without a doubt the number one hit for this year, addressing one of the important anxieties many people share: the fear for an Islamic takeover)
Coming soon…Fitna V Analysing political propaganda

The last one is number five in a series about Fitna, the movie by Dutch politician Geert Wilders and serves as the basis for three articles I will write (two of them will be published in 2010 I hope). These two entries also score very well in the most viewed ranking:

Most Viewed

As you can see in both lists Dutch and English language contributions are part of this blog. Public anthropology involves, as said, asking who is the public? For anthropologists outside the English speaking world, they also have to ask, is my public native (in my case Dutch) or international? I have chosen to combine both since some Dutch issues are relevant for a wider, international public and because writing in English would mean that my blog would be less accessible for Dutch speaking people. The current development in social sciences that only writing in Anglo-Saxon journals is valued above anything else (or better, the rest doesn’t matter) could lead I’m afraid to a situation in which social sciences are not relevant anymore for native, non-English publics and render the cause for a public anthropology futile or even ridiculous.

Closing statement
This blog is a (modest) attempt to make anthropology publicly relevant and to improve anthropological research. At the same time it is on ongoing experiment to find out what public anthropology actually is and to explore it. Why would I do this? As Maximilian Forte explains very well:
Not Radical Enough: Disengaged Anthropology (1.5) « ZERO ANTHROPOLOGY

Some might object that anthropology does not need to be publicly engaged, does not need mass audiences, and thus eschew the common goals of both Bunzl and Besteman-Gusterson. I disagree. Anthropology will not reside safely in peace, ensconced in the Ivory Tower, because there too it is suffering from increased marginalization, and that’s in the cases of universities that actually have an anthropology program of some sort. Moreover, any discipline whose purchase covers a wide range of publicly relevant, directly relevant, issues should say something in public. There is no point being a mute bystander as public debates rage about race, the family, violence, religion, and thus act like some dog in the manger

In that blog entry he refers to a discussion in American Anthropologist (2008, vol. 110, no. 1). In November 2009 these articles are open for the public:
The Quest for Anthropological Relevance: Borgesian Maps and Epistemological Pitfalls – Matti Bunzl

In this essay, I critique the currently dominant mode of American sociocultural anthropology. Through a historical reading of canonical texts from the 1970s to the 1990s, I trace some of contemporary anthropology’s limitations and probe their implications for the possibility of a publicly engaged discipline. I focus my critique on the demand for ever-increasing complexity, identifying it as an implicit form of positivism that renders the results of anthropological inquiries increasingly irrelevant to the big questions of the day. Epistemologically speaking, contemporary anthropology is thus not radical enough. In conclusion, I mobilize the Weberian–Boasian tradition as the most viable alternative to sociocultural anthropology’s status quo.

A Response to Matti Bunzl: Public Anthropology, Pragmatism, and Pundits

Discussing only two out of 11 chapters, Matti Bunzl argues that Why America’s Top Pundits Are Wrong (2005) embodies an excessively deconstructive approach that undermines public anthropology by opposing all generalization. In fact, the contributors to the Pundits volume come from a variety of intellectual positions, some unfriendly to deconstructionism. In a book that is deliberately jargon free, the contributors are unified not by postmodernism but by pragmatism. They oppose generalizations that are manifestly ideological and untrue, not all generalizations. The point of the book is not to nitpick generalizations but to unmask media apologetics for neoliberalism and neoconservatism that misuse core terms (e.g., culture, ethnicity, human nature, gender) from the anthropological lexicon. We advocate a revitalized public anthropology based on grounded research, translation of sophisticated anthropological knowledge into accessible English, and a passionate concern for the well-being of those at the sharp end of neoliberal globalization.

A Reply to Besteman and Gusterson: Swinging the Pendulum

In this rejoinder to Catherine Besteman and Hugh Gusterson, I clarify that my essay “The Quest for Anthropological Relevance: Borgesian Maps and Epistemological Pitfalls” is not primarily a critique of their volume Why America’s Top Pundits Are Wrong (2005). Instead, I maintain that it takes issue with the current state of sociocultural anthropology and its inability to communicate with a larger public sphere. In conclusion, I reflect on the historical location of my argument, likening my position to advocacy for a swing in the discipline’s epistemological pendulum and finding additional cause for such action in the realities of the current political moment.

The debate is relevant, as Forte shows, for addressing several features of anthropology (such as the critique on generalizations, the tendency to increase ‘complexity’ and sophistication, the problem of othering, the institutional structures, and so on) that influence public anthropology. An issue that I did see addressed anywhere yet, is what happens when you speak out as an anthropoligist on topics that are part of a fierce public and political debate. Two recent cases from the Netherlands are exemplary here. First of all the dismissal of Tariq Ramadan in Rotterdam and the subsequent statement of social scientists from the University of Amsterdam (later followed by the Free University of Amsterdam) stating that Tariq Ramadan should be offered a position in Amsterdam. The people who wrote a public letter about this, were accused in several ways of being a traiter, islamic co-conspirator, leftists and so on. Another, even more striking case, is the report of the Volkskrant newspaper about a report for the Ministry of Home Affairs, in which Geert Wilders appears as a far right extremist. Three researchers are named and after the publication of the newspaper a whole debate came about. Anti-Wilders groups and politicians applauding the conclusion, pro-Wilders groups launching a personal attack against the three researchers. Interesting thing is that the report is not published yet because it is not finished. Therefore, no report but debates about the researchers anyway (or because of it). That is striking in itself, but also tells us something about the climate in which researchers have to work and which I think pose a challenge to public anthropology and the attempt to make anthropology matter. The same happened to me when I blogged about someone in Amsterdam who scratched a commercial posters that depicted women in a abusive way (see the above list of most viewed posts, nummer 1). I don’t know how to deal with it, but I think it is an important issue to reflect about and I will try to publish a series of blog entries about it next year.

All these problems should not lead us to conclusion that it is better to refrain from making anthropology public and retreat in our academic ivory tower. I think I have made clear why. There are several ways in which anthropologists can make their knowledge easily available for a wider audience and receive feedbak about it. A blog is a very good, works for me. Another way is working with journalists as Nancy Scheper-Hughes (certainly an example for me) shows in an issue of Anthropology Today, quoted at Lorenzo’s Antropologi.info. In her view this can help not only responding to public issues, but also making issues public issues as she tried to do with the Organs Watch Project. All of this is a lot of work because it means to work double time; not only responding to teaching obligations and the academic ‘publish or perish’ structure but also for example as I did giving a lecture at one o’clock at night on some obscure chat room that people only care about if they call for jihad or to respond to all of the vile and sometimes threatening comments here in a personal manner trying to find out what the person wants to say.
Nancy Scheper-Hughes: Public anthropology through collaboration with journalists

Paraphrasing Hortense Powdermaker: you want to be a public anthropologist – then do it! I always did. But don’t expect to be rewarded for it. Instead, consider it a precious right and a privilege. Be grateful that, despite the tendency of bureaucratic intuitions toward social con servatism, we can still ‘do what we want and get away with it too!’

Together with my colleague Henk Driessen from Radboud University I’m planning to organizing an international workshop on anthropology and publicity in 2010, I will keep you updated on that. Let me finish by saying thank you to my readers, commenters, colleagues, my informants and all others who have helped me with my weblog and research. And beware: I’m planning to ‘get away with it’ for another 10 years.

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Closing the week 45 – Featuring Theo van Gogh

Posted on November 7th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere.

Most popular on Closer this week:

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Featuring Theo van Gogh (selection in Dutch, see below)
I CARE – News – Internet Centre Anti Racism Europe

Five years ago today Dutch filmmaker and columnist Theo van Gogh was murdered in Amsterdam by a fanatical Muslim who was infuriated by Van Gogh’s anti-Islam insults. The killing has been compared with the terrorist attacks in New York, Madrid and London and it boosted already high ethnic tensions. The anniversary of the attack prompted foreign journalists to check on the multicultural tensions and Muslim radicalisation in the Dutch capital. The Netherlands’ immigration issues have remained high on the agenda, fuelled by populist politician Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV). But no attacks, home grown or from outside, have taken place since November 2, 2004. That was the morning Mohammed B. followed Theo van Gogh on his bicycle before he shot him eight times with a handgun. The 47-year-old filmmaker fell to the ground, where his assassin slit his throat and pinned a note to his body with a knife. The note was a death threat to Ayaan Hirsi Ali with whom Van Gogh had made the short film Submission, about the abuse of women under Islam, and called for jihad. B., son of Moroccan immigrants, was born and raised in Amsterdam. “The turnaround in his behaviour happened in this building”, Achmed Marcouch told reporters on a tour of the Amsterdam immigrant neighbourhood Slotervaart last week. Marcouch has been Slotervaart’s borough chairman since 2006 and the building he showed the journalists was the community centre Eigenwijks, where B. was a volunteer. He is now serving a life sentence for the murder.

Internation Musing: Istanbul, Athens, Amsterdam, Patra, Utrecht, and Thessaloniki.: 5 years after the killing of van Gogh

The image of being an open, tolerant society where one could say anything was shattered and Dutch society changed in a fundamental way. Van Gogh was of rude, coarse and – according to many – offensive but his murder was an abhorrent act that can never be justified. The murder also had far-reaching consequences, many analysts believe that Geert Wilders and his far-right Freedom Party wouldn’t be nearly so popular if van Gogh hadn’t been slaughtered.

The general trend in the Netherlands is that”After van Gogh, people are scared to say anything controversial”. Ton Folkertsma, who watched as Mohammed Bouyeri butchered the filmmaker, tells a Dutch paper that his life hasn’t been the same since the murder and that the country has changed, “things are going badly in the Netherlands, things can’t continue as they are. Maybe I’ll be murdered tomorrow, or maybe it will be you”.

Dutchblog Israel: 14/5 years later

Two men, totally different. Their murderers have a lot in common, much more than these two men ever shared. Both the murderers are religious fanatics, one Jewish, the other Muslim. In more than one way, both murderers reached their goal(s). To me it seems that the supporters of both murderers are today stronger than they were when Rabin, resp. Van Gogh were murdered. Yesterday it was five years ago that Van Gogh died in Amsterdam. Tomorrow fourteen years will have passed since Rabin died in Tel Aviv.

nrc.nl – International – Immigrant tensions remain five years after Van Gogh killing

Immigrant tensions remain five years after Van Gogh killing
Published: 2 November 2009 15:03 | Changed: 3 November 2009 10:03
No Islamic terrorist attacks have taken place in the Netherlands since the murder of Theo van Gogh.

The silencing of Theo van Gogh – Salon.com

“I’ll do my best to seriously insult quite a few people.”

Five Years Later: The Death of Dutch Filmmaker Theo Van Gogh :: Culture :: News :: Paste

The cultural fallout of van Gogh’s death in Holland has been compared to the ramifications of 9/11 in the U.S. Several Dutch mosques were burned in retaliation and the government passed laws that all people must carry I.D. It instituted citizen tests for resident aliens, enforced language tests for prospective immigrants, and authorized police to stop people on the street who appeared suspicious.

CBC News – Film – Dutch mark Theo van Gogh killing 5 years on

Documentary films, special reports and a memorial tribute to Theo van Gogh are among the activities taking place in the Netherlands on Monday, five years after the filmmaker was slain by a religious extremist.

Van Gogh, who was an outspoken critic of radical Islam and a descendant of the famed painter, is being remembered by politicians, family, friends and fans as the country reflects on how his violent death in Amsterdam in 2004 changed the nation.

Hate Speech is Not Free Speech, Mr. Wilders and Mr. Horowitz « Muslim Reverie

The fact that you asked me whether or not I condemn the death threats or murder of Theo Van Gogh is insulting and reveals the kind of stereotypes you have about Muslims in general. Explore my blog and you should be able to figure out what I think. How many times do people ask YOU to condemn crimes that you weren’t responsible for? What about Timothy McVeigh’s bombing of Oklahoma City?

Eyerman (Ron), The Assassination of Theo Van Gogh. From Social Drama to Cultural Trauma

A murder like this calls for a meticulous examination of its political and socio-cultural context, which Eyerman provides, along with an analysis of the trauma that the event supposedly caused among the population. The book contains a number of interesting observations. The author presents details about the killer’s biography, for example, that at least this reviewer had not read in the regular press. He makes a thoughtful comparison between Bouyeri and Hirsi Ali as two opposed models of integration. The first had six years of higher education, was active in affairs of his community, then felt he could get no further and embraced a radical faith that put him in opposition to the established majority. The second dropped her faith, was a student likewise and became a successful politician and spokesperson for women’s rights. The author amply discusses whether Hirsi Ali was the killer’s «real target» or Van Gogh along with her. He speculates that Bouyeri had obtained official authorization from a clergyman to «execute» Van Gogh, even though the latter had never been a Muslim. This would include Europe into the geographic area where extremists feel legitimated in killing prominent opponents. A detail that was also unknown to me concerns the video that serves to acquaint newly arrived immigrants with Dutch society. It appears to be available in a full version and a censored one with images of nude breasts and men kissing left out.

3On the other hand, the book contains several mistakes.[…] it is intriguing that Eyerman fails to mention Van Gogh’s words, in writing and meant comically, «what a smell of caramel here; today they burn only the diabetic Jews.» This phrase was cited over and again in the press to underline that, although a murder in order to curb the free word was utterly wrong, Van Gogh was not OK either. In fact, Eyerman quickly passes over Van Gogh’s anti-Semitism, because in the book’s social drama story the Dutch Muslims, in need of protection as a group, have replaced the Jews of the German occupation.

Column: The Dutch Islam debate since Theo van Gogh | Radio Netherlands Worldwide

On an autumn day in 2004, an event occurred on an Amsterdam street corner that came to symbolise a clash between two ideologies. An artist, the ultimate symbol of the Western concept of freedom of expression, was murdered by a Muslim fundamentalist, a believer in the absolute and singular truth of Allah.

Amsterdam grapples with integration since filmmaker’s murder | France 24

Five years after Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered by a Muslim extremist in Amsterdam, where half the population is of immigrant origin, the city is grappling with social integration.

“It was as if, before Van Gogh, they had never seen a Muslim in the Netherlands,” Ahmed Marcouch, the Moroccan-origin mayor of Amsterdam suburb Slotervaart, told a recent press event.

“From one day to the next, they realised that Muslims existed and that something had to be done — there was much panic.”

Peter Mooring on the web » November 2, 2004: Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was assassinated 911 days after the assassination of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn on May 6, 2002.

I wrote the following article two years ago but want to share it again with you to remember these two great men.

Theo van Gogh and Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Published on March 30, 2007

I had a dream … last night (or was it the day before?) …

After Pim Fortuyn was murdered, on May 6 2002, focus should be changed.
Theo van Gogh decided to make a movie (0605) about the assassination of Fortuyn.
This movie would connect the Dutch secret service to this murder.
About the same time Hirsi Ali was introduced October 2002 out of the blue by Neelie (Smit) Kroes into Dutch right wing political party VVD. Kroes is a protege of the elite in the Netherlands. When newspaper De Volkskrant wanted to print an article about her (financial) connections to a criminal, the paper did not appear that day because of a software error.
The idea was to criminalize the new enemy, i.e. the muslim population. So Theo had to be killed by a muslim.
A Syrian, Abu Khaled, appeared and seemed to be an inspiring figure for van Gogh murderer Mohammed B. and his friends. Abu Khaled was suspected of everything but could move without problems throughout Europe.
To make things more likely Hirshi Ali wanted to make a controversial movie about muslim women.
Of course Theo liked to do that with her, it was controversial!
So they did Submission, a 10 minute film, released on August 29, 2004.
During the post-production of Theo’s movie 0605 about the Pim Fortuyn murder, Mohammed B. murdered Theo on November 2, 2004 leaving a letter for Hirshi Ali on the body of Theo.

DailyAtheist.net » Theo van Gogh, Filmmaker: Assassinated Nov 2, 2004

Monday, Nov 2 is the anniversary of the brutal assassination of Theo van Gogh, controversial filmmaker and director of the short film Submission which dealt with the topic of violence against women in some Islamic societies. To honor his courage I would ask that everyone interested in free speech, reason and freedom from religion tweet “RIP #TheoVanGogh“ at 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time to get on Trending Topics as well as throughout the day.

Theo van Gogh: trailblazer for Wilders | Radio Netherlands Worldwide

On 2 November 2004 Mohammed Bouyeri gunned down Dutch film director, writer and opinion maker Theo van Gogh in broad daylight. In the years leading up to his murder, now five years ago, Van Gogh had been a scathing critic of what he liked to refer to as “fascist” Islam.

The debate on the influence of Islam on Dutch society has continued to rage ever since, with right-wing politician Geert Wilders now taking central stage. What role would Theo van Gogh have played in the current debate? And is his murder the reason that Geert Wilders has attracted such a following in the Netherlands?

Misc.
Europe has a religious symbol crisis, too « Erkan’s Field Diary

The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Italian schools should remove crucifixes from classroom walls, saying their presence could disturb children who were not Christians.The decision is likely to provoke a controversy in Italy, which is deeply attached to its Roman Catholic roots.

Linguistic Anthropology: The Invention of Saying-things-that-don’t-strictly-accord-with-empirical-fact

One of the things that makes human language different from other forms of communication is the ability to communicate about things that are not currently present, including things we expect or hope will happen in the future, things that have happened in the past, and things that are contrary to fact. In a way, it is this ability to (to paraphrase Gervais’s character in The Invention of Lying) ‘say things that aren’t’ that makes humans human.

Dating and the facebook | Democracy in America | Economist.com

in reality, the late 1950s and early 1960s were marked by immense technological changes (pop music, adolescent car ownership, the Pill) that revolutionised pre-marital sexual relations.

If I had to respond to Mr Brooks’s point, I would start by noting that the facebook had a profound influence on my dating life. Not Facebook, but the facebook—the annual book Harvard used to put out showing every undergraduate’s picture, name, and (if I recall correctly) residential house and city of origin. (Facebook started out as an online version of the facebook.) Back when I was in college, if we caught sight of an attractive prospect of the opposite sex (perhaps whilst attending a fiery anti-British speech by Sam Adams, or a witch-burning), we would look her up in the facebook, avoiding the potentially embarrassing prospect of having to approach her, say something friendly and amusing, and ask her name. Finding her photo in the facebook necessitated a lot of page-turning and picture-gazing, which in turn led to the discovery of other possibly attractive women and was a pleasant way to while away the time. Having finally discovered her background information, we could then keep an ear open for other information about her and figure out how to approach her. This was pretty much exactly the same as what studies show current males spend most of their time on Facebook doing, and it was every bit as creepy. So I assume the existence of a Male Creepiness Constant until experimental evidence proves otherwise.

ASA Globalog :: Wall Street Bonuses: Culture, Identity, and Crisis

I would argue that the fundamental point for examining bonuses is not their irony, strangeness, indexing of out-of-touch privilege, or conspicuous compensation. Rather, in the spirit of bringing anthropological tools to bear on financial analyses, it is important to read Wall Street’s bonus and compensation culture as perhaps the central cultural distillation of the key contradictions and unequal effects of a finance-capital-dominated social economy. To a certain extent, bonuses embody the restructuring of American economic practices and large institutions according to financial values that often mine the productive assets of corporations. And, precisely because Wall Street’s key ethos is often expressed vis a vis bonuses, these compensation schemes can also serve as a culturally useful predictor, indicator, or sign of impending crises.

SOCIALIST UNITY » THE INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN HOMOPHOBIA AND ISLAMOPHOBIA

Thus ‘Islamophobia’ is now an official of western power, uniting capitalists and workers, in both foreign wars and domestic racism. It is also the most serious contemporary threat to the socialist project of creating a united working class resistance of all races and religions.

Yet this racism is veiled in the language of enlightenment liberalism and secularism. The rightwing thugs of the English Defence League can claim that ‘Islam is not a race’ and that they are not being racist, they are merely standing up for secular humanism. This claim was also made on the Green Left discussion list by my fellow gay rights activists.

The demo that wasn’t | Inayat Bunglawala | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

The cancellation of the so-called “March for Sharia” which was to have been held last Saturday by Islam4UK (al-Muhajiroun’s latest incarnation) should be viewed as a clear victory for all those who were fed up with the group’s inflammatory antics.

US clinic denies Muslim doctor right to wear hijab

A medical clinic in Dallas, Texas has sparked controversy after saying a Muslim doctor applying for a job cannot wear her headscarf if hired.

Dr. Hena Zaki of Plano, Texas said Friday that she was shocked to find a no-hat policy at the CareNow clinic extended to her hijab.

Italy Convicts 23 Americans for C.I.A. Renditions – NYTimes.com

In a landmark ruling, an Italian judge on Wednesday convicted a base chief for the Central Intelligence Agency and 22 other Americans, almost all C.I.A. operatives, of kidnapping a Muslim cleric from the streets of Milan in 2003.
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Times Topics: Extraordinary Rendition

The case was a huge symbolic victory for Italian prosecutors, who drew the first convictions involving the American practice of rendition, in which terrorism suspects are captured in one country and taken for questioning in another, often one more open to coercive interrogation techniques.

They Are Not Alone: A Worldwide Webinar and Fundraiser | MuslimMatters.org

All last week, we have been discussing cases of the highest kind of injustice against Muslim individuals. While Dr. Maher Arar is out and fighting for justice, several other prisoners are depending on the Muslim community to obtain justice for them. The question was brought up quite a few times as to what we can do for these individuals. Well, here is an opportunity. One of these excellent initiatives is the Muslim Justice Initiative. Time to put our money where our mouth is and support these initiatives that seek to bring justice about. And as we saw with the Canadian government’s apology and award to Dr. Arar, Muslims can use the legal system to demand their civil rights.

The many gods of Ilford | Abhinav Ramnarayan | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

With its 13,000 gods (and counting) scattered all around India, Hinduism has traditionally had more than its share of warring factions. Accounts of disagreements between devotees of Shiva and Vishnu, the two major gods, go back to 2nd century AD. And contrary to some claims, the caste system is alive and kicking, as is the north-south divide, and naturally these are reflected in places of worship.

But the temple I saw in London had them all (so it seemed) side by side to pick from, and pray to. Some of the deities are so lined up so choc-a-bloc that you could pray to one god, and then shift your bum slightly and pray to a second.

Pickled Politics » Double standards over Fort Hood attack

This Washington Independent blog post highlights the hypocrisy of the American right. To recap: a deranged lone gunman at a US military base, who happened to be a soldier there and a Muslim, shot several army soldiers and wounded others. Apparently, before he started shooting he shouted ‘Allah Hu Akbar’ (God is great). But there is no proof that he was influenced by al-Qaeda or any other terrorist groups.

Dutch
Islamisme in Marokko

Schotelantennes en culturele zelfmoord

Danseres Fatima El Houaria strijdt voor het behoud van de traditionele dans Houaria de Taroudant. De oude Berbercultuur is aan het verdwijnen.
Copyright: Daan Bauwens

28 oktober 2009 (MO) – De Marokkaanse overheid onderneemt nieuwe stappen om het islamisme in te dijken. Volgens analisten een maat voor niets, want de radicalisering heeft nieuwe, onzichtbare wegen gevonden om Marokkaanse huiskamers binnen te sluipen. MO* glipte mee naar binnen en kwam terug met een verhaal over televisie-imams, Arabische mondialisering en de leegroof van het land.

Zou Theo van Gogh nu op Geert Wilders stemmen? | Radio Netherlands Worldwide

Op 2 november 2004 werd filmmaker Theo van Gogh in Amsterdam door Mohammed B. vermoord. Van Gogh wist met zijn uitspraken de woede van moslims op de hals te halen. Die rol lijkt overgenomen te zijn door de PVV-politicus Geert Wilders. Maar zijn de twee eigenlijk wel te vergelijken? De Wereldomroep stelde vier vragen aan een vriend, een opponent en een socioloog.

Het Gesprek » Programma

5 Jaar na de moord op Theo van Gogh zendt Het Gesprek 24 uur lang afleveringen uit van Theo’s interviewprogramma “Gogh’s Zondag”, afgewisseld met reacties van mensen die Theo van Gogh goed hebben gekend onder wie Joost Zwagerman, Job Cohen, Geert Wilders, Huub Stapel, Eddy Terstall, Yvonne Kroonenberg, Theodor Holman, Doesjka van Hoogdalem en Bert van der Veer.

AD Binnenland – Wilders: Van Gogh is in z’n hemd gezet (440674)

DEN HAAG – ‘De elite’ van Nederland heeft Theo van Gogh ‘in zijn hemd gezet’. Dat zegt Geert Wilders, vijf jaar na de moord op de filmer. Als hij de balans opmaakt, komt hij tot de conclusie dat de vrijheid van meningsuiting sindsdien alleen maar verder is ingeperkt.

Fight the Smears: Theo van Gogh opnieuw vermoord!

Propaganda-alert: Alsof één keer een groot mes in je borstkast niet genoeg is, meent de Profiel (KRO) afgelopen zondagavond, nu ook nog een karaktermoord te moeten plegen. De centrale vraag is, waar Theo’s ongebreidelde behoefte aan kwetsen vandaan kwam. Familie, vrienden en vijanden worden geïnterviewd. Allemaal hebben ze wel een verhaal waaruit zou moeten blijken wat een nare, rare, akelige man die Van Gogh eigenlijk wel niet was.

Theo van Gogh amper herdacht « Nieuws

AMSTERDAM – Maandag 2 november wordt in de hoofdstad nauwelijks stil gestaan bij de moord op filmmaker Theo van Gogh. Van Gogh werd in 2004 op brute wijze omgebracht door de extremistische moslim Mohammed B. in de Linnaeusstraat in Amsterdam-Oost.

Muren – Trouw

In dezelfde maand als de val van de Berlijnse Muur, zal Nederland zich moeten herinneren dat het vijf jaar geleden is dat een filmregisseur en columnist door een moslimfanaticus werd vermoord. Schoorvoetend herinneren, dat wel, en zonder poeha. Alsof de moord op Theo van Gogh door Mohammed B. een incident is dat met schaamte, ongemak of onverschilligheid dient te worden behandeld. ’Theo bijna vergeten’ kopte een krant. En als iets nog wordt gememoreerd, is het vooral de provocatieve en nare geest van het slachtoffer, zoals ’KRO-profiel’ onlangs deed. Over de dader, bijna niets. Over de portee van zijn daad, nog minder. Dat Mohammed B. zuiver in de geest van zijn naamgenoot de profeet handelde, is een splijtzwam die beter kan worden verzwegen. Toch delen die twee Mohammeds met elkaar hetzelfde fanatisme, dezelfde onverdraagzaamheid en wreedheid. In die zin is deze moord geen anekdotisch incident maar een openbaring. Achter de kogels en messen van de moordenaar schuilen helaas tal van geloofsgenoten die, volgens peilingen, deze daad als legitiem beschouwen en met instemming hebben begroet.

Je kunt in bepaalde elitekringen de moord op de ’nare’ Van Gogh relativeren, maar het geluid van zijn ineenstorting op de stenen van de Amsterdamse Linnaeusstraat heeft voor velen de klank van de val van een eigen muur.

Joost Niemöller » Die Theo toch

Op de tv en in de bladen en kranten wordt Theo van Gogh herdacht. Vijf jaar alweer. Arthur van Amerongen en Joost Niemöller kunnen niet achterblijven. Er zijn nog zoveel verhalen onverteld gebleven. En zeker het echte verhaal is nooit in kaart gebracht: Wat had Theo nu precies met de islam?

Theo van Gogh en Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Submission | DeJaap

Maandag is het 5 jaar geleden dat de filmmaker en columnist Theo van Gogh werd vermoord door de moslimextremist Mohammed Bouyeri. Belangrijkste aanleiding voor de moord was de korte film Submission, geschreven door Ayaan Hirsi Ali en geregisseerd door Van Gogh. Submission ging in 2004 in première tijdens het programma Zomergasten.

Met Het Oog Op Morgen » Blog Archief » Zaterdag: 5 jaar na de moord op Theo van Gogh

Theo van Gogh werd op dinsdagochtend, 2 november 2004, vermoord door Mohammed B. Vijf jaar later maken we de balans op. Is Nederland fundamenteel veranderd door die schokkende terreurdaad? We leggen het voor aan publiciste Elsbeth Etty, politicoloog Jean Tillie en aan historicus Maarten van Rossem, die bevriend was met Van Gogh.

Wilders ontsluierd @ Argan « Najiba Abdellaoui

Welk effect heeft de PVV op de islamitische gemeenschap en hoe gaan moslims om met de opkomst van Wilders? Wat is wijsheid en in hoeverre kunnen politici met een Marokkaans/islamitische achtergrond de achterban informeren en helpen met het relativeren van het gedachtegoed van Wilders. Ook is het precies 5 jaar na de moord op Theo van Gogh.

Netherlands: How many Bouyeris live in the Netherlands? | allah.eu

Netherlands: How many Bouyeris live in the Netherlands? On November 2nd the Netherlands will mark five years to the murder of Theo van Gogh. The following is a translation of an interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, published in Dutch newspaper Het Parool on October 31, 2009, as part of a series of interviews marking the occasion: She didn’t know Theo very well. They had met each other twice, and had many phone conversations, when they worked on Submission

Netherlands: How many Bouyeris live in the Netherlands?

On November 2nd the Netherlands will mark five years to the murder of Theo van Gogh. The following is a translation of an interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, published in Dutch newspaper Het Parool on October 31, 2009, as part of a series of interviews marking the occasion:

PAROOL: AMSTERDAM – Hirsi Ali: islamdebat is mislukt

De vrijheid van meningsuiting is in Nederland niet gewaarborgd. De moord op Theo van Gogh, maandag vijf jaar geleden, betekende het failliet van de rechtsstaat. Dat zegt Ayaan Hirsi Ali vandaag in een interview met Het Parool. ”Hij had desnoods tegen zijn wil beschermd moeten worden.”

waar werd oprechter trouw, dan tussen man en vrouw: Vijf Jaar Later

Waar was jij toen je hoorde dat Theo van Gogh vermoord was?
-In die tijd keek ik nog regelmatig op Fok.nl. Wat is er toch veel veranderd. Nou is het allemaal Geenstijl wat de klok slaat.
Ja, maar waar was je?

If you want to stay updated and did not subscribe yet, you can do so HERE

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Geenstijl.nl & Marokko.nl

Posted on November 7th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere.

Toen enige tijd geleden soldaat Adzin Chadli werd gedood in Afghanistan, waren de brute opmerkingen op Marokko.nl niet van de lucht.
C L O S E R » Blog Archive » Geenstijl – ‘Gelukkig is het geen Nederlander’

1)”Ik durf de loyaliteit van islamitische militairen wel degelijk in twijfel (goed lezen: in twijfel) te trekken”
2) “Ja waar gehakt wordt vallen spaanders. Had ie maar een vak moeten leren.”
3) “één kudtmarokkaan minder, nog een heel rifgebergte te gaan.”
4)”mudderfuckers”
5) “Ik vind het erg dat hij is overleden en wens zijn familie sterkte. Maar uiteindelijk kan ik mij er nul zorgen om maken. We horen daar niet te zitten. Risico van het vak.”
6) “Hier leggen we de mossels in de watten en uit pure dankbaarheid schieten ze ons daar dood. In beide gevallen mogen we miljarden betalen voor het privilege. Ja, de islam is een echte verrijking van het Nederlandse bestaan.”
7) “Maar ben benieuwd of die kaffers nu ook zo tof doen over de dood van deze soldaat… respectloos kut gebroed is het…”
8) “Itt wat Bush en de mosilmknecht Obama bezweren is het Westen wel degelijk in oorlog met de islam. Moslims horen niet in het Nederlandse leger. Deze gast zxal ws slechts culturele moslim maken. Misschien zet het zijn clan aan het denken over de sekte waarvan ze slaaf zijn.”
9) “Bovendien is hij beroepssoldaat, hij heeft er zelf voor gekozen en dan is het (erg plat uitgedrukt natuurlijk) toch je ‘eigen schuld’”
10) “Ik kan er niet zo mee zitten eerlijk gezegd. Het is oorlog. Nederland wil meespelen om de banden met de VS niet in gevaar te brengen en dus vallen er doden. Het is niet wachten of er een 20ste dode zal vallen. Het is gewoon wachten wanneer. En dan kan het RIP’en en platgooi geschreeuw weer opnieuw beginnen.”
11) “Finnen zijn zijn cultureel gehandicapten die in bontkraag-sportschoen-outfit mensen beroven, ambtenaren het leven zuur maken en in zijn geheel de sfeer op straat verzieken.
Deze soldaat was geen fin.
Dit was een Nederlander.”
12) “Geen militair is verplicht er heen te gaan, maar als je graag RAMBO wilt spelen zijn de gevolgen voor jou, en dan niet zeuren als er doden vallen, want ze schieten met echte bommen en granaten.”
13) “Man was zoon van een Hollandse moeder, die getrouwd was met een Marokkaanse man. Dat maakt hem dus automatisch fin. ”
14) “Jongens dit is dweilen met de koran open”
15) “azdin.. gelukkig geen nederlander”

Geenstijl.nl zat er natuurlijk bovenop en publiceerde screenshots van de gewraakte uitspraken (en niet eens de meest ernstige overigens, daar waren ze te laat voor en hadden ze niet goed genoeg voor gelezen). Dat is begrijpelijk, maar ook hypocriet aangezien de bovenstaande 15 uitspraken niet van Marokko.nl zijn, maar van Geenstijl.nl. Het bezwaar, ook begrijpelijk, tegen Marokko.nl is dat men gesubsidieerd wordt en je zou dus kunnen stellen dat de overheid grove uitspraken over Nederlandse militairen subsidieert. Niet helemaal terecht, want men subsidieert een discussiesite, niet een site met één bepaalde boodschap. Hetzelfde kan gezegd worden voor Geenstijl.nl. Het ministerie van Defensie adverteert op Geenstijl.nl voor de werving van soldaten. Ook daar zou dan de overheid meebetalen aan grove uitspraken.

Dat is natuurlijk wel een belangrijk verschil van inzicht. Subsidieer je een discussiesite en loop je dus bewust het risico dat er ook onwelgevallige meningen op staan of subsidieer je met de bedoeling dat er slechts één bepaalde mening (of meningen binnen door de overheid bepaalde grenzen) op staat? Dat laatste houdt de boel lekker rustig, maar zal waarschijnlijk betekenen dat zowel Geenstijl.nl als Marokko.nl hun aantrekkelijkheid verliezen. Dat eerste benadert het dichtst het ideaal van een vrije publieke ruimte (maar niet persé rationeel, burgerlijk en democratisch) en zorgt ervoor dat een site als Marokko.nl en ook Geenstijl.nl hun functie als barometer van de samenleving houden.

Na wat al te enthousiaste reacties op Marokko.nl over de aanslagen in Mumbai stelde minister Van der Laan een onderzoek in. Daar zijn nu de resultaten van bekend:
VROM – Van der Laan: afspraken met marokko.nl voor beter beheer website

In een brief aan de Tweede Kamer stelt Van der Laan geen enkel verband te willen zien tussen enerzijds discriminerende uitlatingen of haatzaaien én anderzijds subsidies van VROM/WWI voor de exploitanten.

Onderzoek naar drie websites (Marokko.nl, Islamwijzer.nl en Maroc.nl) wees op dat moment uit dat op de verschillende sites van Marokko.nl en Maroc.nl uitlatingen en citaten zijn aangetroffen die als haatzaaiend, discriminerend en/of beledigend kunnen worden ervaren. Dit gold niet voor de Islamwijzer.nl.
Maatregelen

Met het oog op de subsidie heeft minister Van der Laan meerdere gesprekken gevoerd met de exploitanten over verbeteringen in het beheer van de sites. De gesprekken hadden een constructief karakter. Marokko.nl heeft diverse maatregelen aangekondigd waaronder de inzet van getrainde moderators voor meer ondersteuning. De gemaakte afspraak moet leiden tot een strikt moderatiebeleid waarin discriminatie en haatzaaien geen plaats hebben. Maroc.nl heeft in het verleden al een slag gemaakt en sluit zich aan bij de gemaakte afspraken.

Minister Van der Laan benadrukt dat de afspraken met de exploitanten tot stand zijn gekomen vanuit de mogelijkheden die de subsidierelatie met deze partijen bood. Daarnaast heeft de minister het Meldpunt Discriminatie Internet opdracht gegeven onderzoek te laten doen naar het moderatiebeleid van een aantal grote Nederlandse webfora om beter inzicht te krijgen in de randvoorwaarden voor goed beheer. Ook bespreekt Van der Laan met de leden van het kabinet het onderwerp subsidie voor internetprojecten in een bredere context om tot een eenduidige lijn te komen.

De subsidie voor Marokko.nl, Maroc.nl en Islamwijzer.nl wordt conform planning in 2009 afgebouwd.

En Marokko.nl belooft heel braaf:
PAROOL: MEDIA – Marokko.nl belooft beter beheer website

De exploitant van website Marokko.nl belooft het beheer van de site te verbeteren en vanaf januari discriminerende en haatzaaiende uitspraken binnen een uur te verwijderen. Dat is de uitkomst van een overleg tussen minister Eberhard van der Laan (Integratie) en de exploitant.

Nou vraag ik me wel af hoe ze dat willen doen. Ook bij Geenstijl.nl glipt er wel eens wat doorheen:
Voor wie dacht dat op GeenStijl alles kan

Jouw reactie (“Op landverraad staat de doodstraf: Tjibbe Joustra moet voor het executiepeloton.”) was voor het NCTb [“Nationaal Coördinator Terrorismebestrijding”] reden aangifte te doen bij de politieteam bedreigde politici. Afgelopen week heeft de officier van justitie middels een vordering jouw IP opgeëist.

Wij hebben daarop onze advocaat geraadpleegd met de vraag of wij deze vordering naast ons neer konden leggen, maar dat blijkt niet het geval te zijn. Zo ben je als website-beheerder verplicht in geval van strafbare feiten aan zo’n vordering gehoor te geven. Zo niet, dan volgt inbeslagname, hetgeen zelfs zou kunnen leiden dat GS (tijdelijk) op zwart moet. Zie het als een huiszoeking, je bent in zo’n geval verplicht de politie binnen te laten. GS staat niet boven de wet, dus voor ons geldt deze regel ook gewoon.

Bovendien was jouw reactie in strijd met onze huisregels en had dus onmiddellijk moeten worden beloond met een ban. Dat is niet gebeurd, hetgeen spijtig is. Maar met 10.000 reacties per dag wil er nog wel eens iets tussendoor schieten. (…)

Op Marokko.nl gaat het (volgens de beheerder) om 50.000 berichten per dag. Natuurlijk schiet er daar ook wel eens wat tussendoor, dat is wat Albert Benschop, in de Volkskrant de Wet van behoud van bagger, noemt:
Nuttige kijk op de onderbuik – Multimedia – de Volkskrant

‘Als een vuilnisman mijn straat in Amsterdam-Centrum opruimt en aan het einde is beland, dan ligt het begin weer vol met rotzooi. Zo is het ook met zo’n forum dat 24 uur per dag en zeven dagen in de week toegankelijk is.’

Verder komen de gewraakte uitspraken niet alleen van allochtone Nederlanders. Na de moord op Theo van Gogh was de toestroom van Stormfront mensen zo groot, dat het volledig uit de hand liep. Ook nu zouden er autochtone Nederlanders op komen:

Mahdaoui: ‘Zo’n 20 procent is een bezoeker van GeenStijl – na een oproep op die website – of een aanhanger van de PVV. Die komen om te provoceren.’

Volgens Benschop gaat het nog een stap verder. ‘Die bezoekers maken soms een profiel aan als Mohammed21 om met extreme uitspraken Marokko.nl in diskrediet te brengen. Vervolgens zeggen ze wat een rotzooi het bij de website is.’ Hij meent dat bij GeenStijl soms daartoe wordt opgeroepen.

Let wel dat maakt op zich voor de discussie niet veel uit wie die uitspraken doet. Dat ze gedaan worden, daar gaat het om.

Ambroos Wiegers van GeenStijl ontkent dat dergelijke berichten door zijn redactie worden geschreven. ‘Zo spelen wij het spelletje niet. We schrijven wel vaak over Marokko.nl, omdat zij uit zichzelf vreemde uitspraken doen.’ Hij sluit niet uit dat een bezoeker van zijn website in een reactie zo’n oproep zou kunnen doen. ‘Maar daar zitten we bovenop.’

Ambroos Wiegers praat hier wel met een heel dik pak boter op z’n hoofd. (Ok, liegt gewoon.) Uit zichzelf doet Marokko.nl niet vreemdere uitspraken als Geenstijl.nl. Dat doen de bezoekers misschien wel. Net als de bezoekers van Wiegers zo geeft hij terecht aan. Daarbij schroomt de redactie van Geenstijl.nl niet om de dingen aan te dikken of uit hun dikke duim te zuigen zoals we al eerder gezien hebben. Marokko.nl is daarbij een nogal makkelijk doelwit omdat daar altijd wel iemand uit de bocht vliegt zoals op ieder forum en zoals ook op Geenstijl.nl Wat Geenstijl.nl doet is dan ook niet zozeer het blootleggen van misstanden, maar het scheppen, uitvergroten en verdraaien van infotainment issues. Natuurlijk is Geenstijl.nl niet zo dom om zelf op te roepen rotzooi te gaan schoppen op Marokko.nl of een andere site, maar men weet van tevoren dat het gebeurt en (zo vertelde de redactie mij zelf) de berichten worden ook zo geschreven. Of een bericht daarbij op waarheid berust, doet er niet toe, zo geeft men ook zelf toe zonder al te veel ruggengraat overigens want men raakt daar vrij overspannen van mensen die doorvragen.

Niettemin het punt dat Geenstijl aan de orde stelde is principieel en raakt ook Geenstijl.nl zelf. Moet de overheid websites subsidiëren (direct/indirect/via advertentieruimte) waar onwelgevallige meningen (voor wie dan ook?) worden geuit? En waar leg je de grens?

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Two Dutch persons in terrorism cases

Posted on November 5th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: International Terrorism, ISIM/RU Research, Religious and Political Radicalization.

In March 2009 Dutch police arrested Aqaal Abbasi in the southern Dutch town of Breda. He is a Pakistani national and arrested on suspicion of belonging to an “international jihadist network” operating from Barcelona preparing attacks in western Europe. There was no evidence he planned an attack in the Netherlands and the inquiry was the largest terrorism research so far in the Netherlands and the first time the Netherlands was confronted with an international terror cell according to Dutch authorities in NRC Handelsblad. Abbasi was a free man after a while because there was not enough evidence against. However he was re-arrested in August and extradited to Spain where a trial against him will start in December. He is one of the eleven people charged with offences relating to planning suicide bombings in Germany and Barcelona. It is claimed that Abbasi travelled from Spain to Germany to carry out a suicide attack, but left for the Netherlands without actually doing it.

Another Muslim from the Netherlands involved in a terrorism case is Houria Chentouf. She was arrested at Liverpool John Lennon Airport 16 October 2008 during an interview with Special Branch officers. Apparently after a USB device fell out of her burqa she was arrested and the search of the device uncovered a huge library of material including a manual describing how to make car bombs and how to detonate them. Another document fund was an explosives manual for the brothers of the Mujahidin Chentouf lived in the Netherlands but left the country, as she stated, because of the discrimination against Muslims. During the court case it became quite clear that Houria Chentouf had mental health problems and had self-harmed in the past after the death of a relative. In a letter she wrote:

Forgive me. Shall I give in to the rule of tyrants? Do you think that is something I would do? No, I would not, because I fear Allah. Myself and my children would seek revenge and we would be bombs for the sake of this religion.

According to the prosecutor this that she was prepared to sacrifice her life and those of her children for her religion.

It is not clear whether or not she is related to Mohammed Chentouf who serves prison time for being part of a terror plot (together with Samir Azzouz) but she did have contact with him by sending letters. She also had the phone numbers of exiled Muslim preacher Omar Bakri from the Al Muhajiroun and Abu Izzadeen (Trevor Brooks) a British convert jailed for raising money for terrorists and inciting terrorism overseas. She had also posted on the Internet about the role of women in jihad and wrote in support of Muslims seeking martyrdom.

She pleaded guilty to the possession of the documents connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism and was sentenced to two years in prison for the possession of documents likely to be useful for a terrorist. According to the judge the fact that she had thousands of documents showing her interest in Jihad, it meant that the possession of such documents is not a coincidence. The judge told she had ‘developed an obsessive interest in Jihad and the more extreme forms of Islam’, but there was ‘no evidence’ to suggest she intended to pass the material on and no intention of putting it into practical use.

If Houria Chentouf indeed suffers from mental illness such a line of reasoning can be questioned. Is she indeed a potential terrorist or a woman coping with some severe issues? On the other hand others have said this is only used to discredit her and her cause. I also do wonder if a non-Muslim has the same amount of documents and even the same documents, would he be convicted as well? The documents don’t have to be useful, likely to be useful is enough. In the Netherlands she would not have been convicted because the possesion of such documents does not constitute a violation of the law (although it can be used as arguments in court cases as happened in the past). It has not become clear why she was questioned at the airport by officers of Special Branch in the first place. Moreover she was already stopped four months earlier under the Terrorism Act at Liverpool Airport before she was eventually arrested in October.

Because she had spent more than a year in remand, she was freed but being kept in custody while arrangements are made for her deportation to Holland.

0 comments.

Claude-Lévi Strauss overleden (100 jaar)

Posted on November 4th, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: anthropology.

De Franse antropoloog Lévi-Strauss is in de nacht van zaterdag op zondag overleden, één maand voor zijn 101e verjaardag. Lévi-Strauss gold als de grondlegger van het Franse structuralisme. Belangrijk in zijn werk was de opvatting dat woorden, tekens, signalen zelf geen betekenis genereren. Het netwerk, de onderlinge relaties waarin die woorden, tekens en signalen zijn opgenomen genereert de verschillen tussen de dingen en die verschillen hebben betekenis. waarin ze zijn opgenomen produceert die betekenis. Het is de sociale context van de mensen, de relaties die mensen onderhouden die bepalen wat een mens is en wat hij kan zijn. In een bespreking in NRC vorig jaar legt Lemaire dit heel helder uit aan de hand van Lévi-Strauss zelf:
Lang leve het wilde denken | NRC Boeken

In de laatste door hem gepubliceerde essaybundel doet de Franse antropoloog Claude Lévi-Strauss een kleine ontdekking. Hij leest het muziektheoretische werk van de volstrekt vergeten 18de-eeuwse violist en componist Michel Paul Guy de Chabanon, op zoek naar een antwoord op de vraag wat voor taal de muziek eigenlijk is. Een toon is niet meer dan geluid, zo schrijft Chabanon, en geluid betekent op zichzelf helemaal niks. De elementen waaruit de muziek is opgebouwd zijn niet op zichzelf van belang, maar alleen hun relaties. Pas door hun contrast krijgen ze zeggingskracht en kunnen ze oproepen wat de componist tot uitdrukking wil brengen.

Lévi Strauss is bij het grote publiek waarschijnlijk beter bekend door zijn reisverslag Tristes Tropiques (Het trieste der tropen) uit 1955. Behalve een mooi reisverslag (en lees het vooral ook als zodanig) is het (zoals Lemaire stelt) een prachtige levendige inleiding in de structurele antropologie.Lang leve het wilde denken | NRC Boeken

In Het trieste der tropen beschrijft Lévi- Strauss hoe hij aan het eind van de jaren dertig als universitair docent sociologie in Sao Paulo een aantal expedities onderneemt naar indiaanse stammen in de Braziliaanse binnenlanden. Volstrekt ongerept zijn de meeste al niet meer. Sommige verkeren al bijna in ontbinding tegenover de almaar oprukkende westerse beschaving. Maar toch komt hij onder de indruk van het vernuft waarmee deze culturen hun onderlinge relaties organiseren, hun clanverhoudingen inrichten en de patronen daarvan op symbolische wijze tot uitdrukking brengen in hun tatoeages, gelaatsbeschilderingen en mythen.

Lévi-Strauss paste de inzichten die hij opdeed ook toe op de Westerse samenleving en stelde bijvoorbeeld dat het idee van de Westerse superioriteit onhoudbaar was omdat elke samenleving (dus ook de Westerse) enkele basisregels kent bijvoorbeeld met betrekking tot leven en dood.

Op Youtube kunnen we een serie van zeven filmpjes vinden van een interview met Lévi-Strauss (Engelse ondertiteling):
Deel 1
[flashvideo filename=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u73chpnKKhQ /]
Deel 2
[flashvideo filename=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlXLSntKq3Q /]
Deel 3
[flashvideo filename=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNzPYvJ2BqM /]
Deel 4
[flashvideo filename=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fItjgGIrGBU /]
Deel 5
[flashvideo filename=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6fOch0tt3A /]
Deel 6
[flashvideo filename=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp9wLrM3-VI /]
Deel 7
[flashvideo filename=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDFVEC2ourE /]

1 comment.

Drie nieuwe sites: Hagar-Sarah, Yakini Time en At-Tibyan Nederland

Posted on November 2nd, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere, ISIM/RU Research.

Ik heb maar weer eens drie nieuwe sites toegevoegd aan mijn toch al ellenlange en onoverzichtelijke linklijst:
Hagar Sarah

Met deze website willen wij een bijdrage leveren aan de dialoog tussen joden, christenen en moslims. Deze dialoog moet ons inziens gevoerd en voortgezet worden opdat wij van elkaars traditie leren hoe wij samen kunnen leven. Dat is niet altijd eenvoudig, soms roept dat spanningen op, maar het doorbreken en oplossen daarvan geeft meer diepgang in de relatie. Met onze voorbeelden uit de praktijk hopen wij een handreiking te bieden aan beginnende dialooggroepen.

De naam is een verwijzing naar aartsvader en profeet Abraham (Ibrahim) die getrouwd was met Sarah.

De moslima van Vermeer door Johannes Hogebrink

Omdat Sarah geen kinderen kon krijgen bood zij haar slavin Hagar aan als draagmoeder. Hager baart Ismael (Ismail) de aartsvader van de Arabieren. Later krijgt Sarah toch een kind; Izaak (Ishaq) die de aartsvader van de joden wordt. Het verhaal in de Koran wijkt hier iets van af. Hagar wordt achtergelaten door Ibrahim in de woestijn en op zoek naar water loopt zij op en neer tussen de heuvels Safa en Marwa waar ze de bron Zamzam vindt. De bedevaartgangers naar Mekka herhalen dit verhaal door zeven keer op en neer te lopen en vaak nemen zij ook Zemzem water mee terug (heb zelf nog een flesje staan dat ik gekregen heb). De joodse, christelijke en islamitische vrouwen van de adviesgroep Hagar-Sarah hebben er (toepasselijk denk ik) voor gekozen om de moeders van beide aartsvaders Ismail en Ishaq te nemen voor de naam van hun dialooggroep.

Yakini betekent waarheid. Yakini Time is een radioprogramma over islam en heeft een eigen weblog
Yakini Time!

Yakini Time! De web-log van het leukste radioprogramma over islam voor Antillianen, Surinamers, Caapverdianen en natuurlijk de rest van Nederland!

Ik kende het niet, maar het is een interessant initiatief vanuit een groep moslims waar we nauwelijks (in het bijzonder Antilliaanse en Kaapverdiaanse Nederlanders) iets van horen. Stichting Yakini die achter de website en het radioprogramma zit wil op een laagdrempelige manier informatie geven over de islam.Yakini Time radio kun je HIER vinden (klik links op Live radio en klik op Live Rotterdam Fm 106.5), iedere woensdag om 21:00 uur. Er wordt informatie gegeven over islam, nieuws over moslims en allochtone Nederlanders en er is Koran te beluisteren evenals anasheed en moslim hiphop.

De Tibyan (uiteenzetting) wordt wel gezien als een van de meest belangrijke bronnen over de gebeurtenissen in Al-Andalus (Andalusië) gedurende de elfde eeuw. Het is een autobiografie van ‘Abd Allah bin Buluggin, emir van de Taifa van Granada van 1073 tot 1090. Zijn verhaal bevat vele verslagen van strijd tegen christelijke en andere staten.
« At-Tibyan Nederland

Deze website is gemaakt voor informatie over de islam, met namen informatie over zaken in de islam waar mensen hun monden over houden of onder de tafel schuifen. zaken die weinig of helemaal niet worden besproken in de islam. Of waar men weinig kennis van heeft, zaken die je niet zo makkenlijk kunt vinden in de nederlandse taal!

Onze Belangrijkste Punten:

-Tawheed (Al Kufr Bi Taghout Wa Imanu Billah)
-Jihad (De Hedendaagse Oorlog In Onze Landen)
-Kufr Akbar met name Kufrul-Istibdaal: Ongeloof door Allah’s Wetten proberen te vervangen
-Zaken Waar Onze Ummah Door Heen Gaat Op Dit Moment

Er zijn al eerder Engelstalige en Nederlandstalige Tibyan sites geweest en ook diverse Nederlandse sites waar vertalingen van Tibyan Publications te vinden zijn (waren). Eén van de populairste vertalingen was aanvankelijk de Nederlandse vertaling van een lezing van Abdullah Azzam ‘In the hearts of Green Birds’ (In de harten van groene vogels) waarin bijzondere verhalen van martelaren uit Bosnië naar voren kwamen. Centraal in die verhalen staat de bescherming die God zou geven aan hen die strijden tegen onrecht en onderdrukking. Ik weet niet of er een relatie is met de huidige Tibyan site, maar het thema van de strijd tegen onrecht en onderdrukking is in ieder geval wel de rode draad van Tibyan Nederland.

Yakini Time en At-Tibyan Nederland maken deel uit van de Blogview.

1 comment.

Mohammed el Fizazi en de open brief aan moslims: Duitsland is geen slagveld

Posted on November 1st, 2009 by martijn.
Categories: Internal Debates, ISIM/RU Research, Murder on theo Van Gogh and related issues, Religious and Political Radicalization.

Enkele jaren gelden werd Muhammad el Fizazi, de spirituele leider van de Salafia Jihadia in Marokko, veroordeeld tot 30 jaar cel. Hij ontving zijn religieuze training in Saoedi Arabië en na zijn terugkeer naar Marokko begon hij eind jaren negentig openlijk Osama Bin Laden te steunen met (vermeende?) uitspraken waarin hij naar Bin Laden verwezen zou hebben als ‘metgezel van de profeet’ en dat ‘de kelen van christenen en joden doorgesneden zouden moeten worden’. In 1999 werd Fizazi de imam van de Al Quds moskee in Hamburg, waar de Hamburg cel die de aanslagen van 9/11 uitvoerde regelmatig gekomen zou zijn, en keerde kort voor 9/11 terug naar Marokko. Fizazi had ook banden met de aanslagen in Madrid (Hasan el Haski, Jamal Zougham en Abdelaziz Benyaich) en de Salafia Jihadia was (samen met Assirat al Moustakin) betrokken bij de aanslagen in Casablanca in 2003. Die aanslagen vormden de aanleiding voor zijn veroordeling in 2003 voor het verspreiden van radicaal gedachtegoed en banden met de plegers van de aanslagen in 2003. In 2007 nam hij nog deel aan een hongerstaking van meer dan 20 dagen. Ook Nederlandse jihadisten zouden door hem beïnvloed zijn.

In juli 2009 zou El Fizazi een brief naar zijn dochter in Hamburg hebben gestuurd waarin hij zich distantieert van terreuraanslagen op doelen in het Westen. Dat mag opmerkelijk genoemd worden want daarmee distantieert hij zich volgens mij ook van Al Qaeda. Voor de goede orde, hij wijst gewapende strijd niet af, maar het gaat om een heroriëntering op de doelen van dat geweld. Moslims in Duitsland zouden zich volgens hem moeten richten op vreedzame demonstraties, stakingen en protesten in plaats van niets en niemand ontziende aanslagen en het doden van onschuldige burgers alleen omdat ze ongelovig zouden zijn. Eén van de argumenten die hij geeft, is dat wanneer moslims naar Duitsland immigreren contracten ondertekenen ze geen geweld kunnen gebruiken tegen hun gastheren omdat dit contractbreuk zou zijn en verraad. El Fizazi is niet de eerste die zijn ideeen herziet; in Egypte is bijvoorbeeld de leiding van de Gamaat Islamiyya hem voorgegaan en in Saoedi Arabië Salman al Awda. Niettemin geloof niet iedereen in de authenticiteit van de brief en/of weigert men van koers te veranderen. Zie voor de achtergronden het artikel in Der Spiegel en de discussies op Jihadica HIER en HIER.

Der Spiegel heeft ook de brief geplaatst en ik zal hem hieronder integraal (in Engelse vertaling) weergeven:
Mohammed El Fazazi’s Letter: ‘Germany Is No Battle Zone’ – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International

My daughter has put to me a few questions with the aim of finding answers about the situation of Muslim immigrants in Germany and their relationship with the German state. I consider myself truly happy that she has raised these topics with me because it provides me with the opportunity to express my thoughts and opinions about these issues and provide answers to those who seek them.

I would like to declare firstly that I, Muhammad bin Muhammad El Fazazi, the writer of these lines, has not been forced to put these down. I am under no pressure to write this, because I am in prison or have been put under pressure to do so or because I want to pretend about something — and, as a proof of this, shall serve the logical arguments and the arguments of the sharia that I will put forward here.

In addition, my situation in a Moroccan prison is very unusual, given the rights that I enjoy here and the respect that I am met with. I am not lacking anything apart from my freedom, and I have appealed to the almighty Allah that it is given back to me as soon as possible. This is because everybody knows, including the Moroccan government, that the accusations against me, because of the attacks in Casablanca, are not true. They represent a big mistake on the part of the Moroccan secret service. This error must be corrected.

‘I Am a Muslim and Nothing More’

In terms of the questions about what my thoughts and religious points of reference where before I moved to the German city of Hamburg, here’s what I think:

I am a person whose personality is put together from different sources and maybe it is possible to say as a summary that I do not trust so much the way that certain people think as much as I rely on the arguments that these men bring forward. (…) I have no particular sheik whom I follow apart from the Koran and the sunna of the prophet. Apart from this I am a modern person. For 32 years I was a teacher of French and mathematics, and I have also for more than 30 years served Da’wa (editors’s note: mission) and I have devoted myself to preaching under the auspices of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Morocco. In other words: I am a Muslim and nothing more. I am not a Salafist jihadist and I am not a traditional Salafi. I am not a Muslim Brother or anything else. I am a Muslim and nothing more. (…)

As for my books and my speeches or talks — which partly contained thoughts that were terrible towards my opponents — one must put them into context in terms of the time and location and one must not more interpret more into them than they actually contained. I say here publicly that I was the object of vicious attacks by leftist circles in Morocco. I was insulted, coerced, I was wrongly quoted in newspapers and forums. And a lot of what I said in books was a reply to these attacks and an act of self-defense. And I admit that I went too far and overshot the target in my attempt to counter what I had to hear about myself by my leftist opponents and other forces. (…) So that’s the context in which my books and my articles must be understood. (…)

‘I Have Moved Away from Some of My Beliefs’

Without a doubt, the long years that I had to spend behind bars in prison have given me an opportunity to contemplate and soberly reflect. I am not ashamed that I have once again reflected on my world of thoughts and have moved away from some of my beliefs. This is a laudable thing and not to be lamented. (…)

As for the questions regarding Muslim immigrants and the German state or Western states in general: The first ones who should answer those questions are the learned people who have emigrated themselves, because they know more about the details and more about those particular relations, they are living the everyday life and they experience the behavior of state institutions and they have contact with the population.

But if I were to say something personally about it, as someone who has on only two occasions spent two weeks in Germany — not even enough time to allow me to really get to know the people and the country or even the Muslim community there — then I would say that a Muslim immigrant, no matter where he comes from, has generally come to Germany because he wants to learn something there or he wants to work, seek medical treatment or any number of things. Germany accepted him under certain conditions.

‘Germany Is Not a Battle Zone’

In order for these conditions to be formulated, certain forms have been filled out and certain contracts have been concluded. In these cases we are talking about real contracts that have to be adhered to. In reality this is what you would call an Ahd Amam, a security contract for both sides and Allah says in his beloved book: “You who have given security, keep the contracts.”

So it follows that anything that breaks these contracts — e.g. by declaring theft to be halal (editor’s note: something which is permitted under Islam) (…) or by allowing the killing of the population in the name of jihad (…) or by trying to build cells who put people into a state of fear and horror and so on (…) — in my eyes constitutes a breach of contract and betrayal in regard to what one has signed in the embassy, in the consulate or in the immigration office.

Germany is not a battle zone. Germany is a field for work, a school for learning, workshops for investments, hospitals for treatment and a market for the sale of goods. Put in another way, Germany is a place for peaceful coexistence and a good life — not least of which because German judges and police (…) protect foreigners and take care of them. (…)

Muslims Seen as ‘Group of Backward-Looking Idiots’

Of course there are people, and these are not learned people, who say that Germany is a NATO member state and that Germany is part of those states that fight against Muslims in Afghanistan and support the state of Israel (…) I say that this is right. An injustice is always an injustice and every one must stand up against injustice, including the German people. I know that (the German people) are against war and occupation and that they have more than once publicly expressed their rejection of the war in general.

It is the job of immigrants to debate and engage with such people. (This should be done) by means of peaceful demonstrations, strikes and protests that are far removed from indiscriminate attacks, the killing of innocent people with the argument of killing kuffar, or non-believers.

The rejection of German or other foreign policy must be organized through civilian, peaceful methods of resistance.

The strength of the argument lies not in a rifle bullet, in violence or in explosive belts. Those won’t bring about change. They will only reinforce the backwardness of Muslims and their image as a group of backward-looking idiots whose place is in the caves and not in the streets of Hamburg, Frankfurt, Berlin or wherever. That’s what this is about. (…)

‘I Advise all to Live Together Peacefully’

I also want to add, in clear Arabic, that Hamburg (because the question addressed to me was about Hamburg) is a city in which there is a plurality of religious sects, ideologies and political directions. Apart from that, Islamic religious communities — for the reasons that I already mentioned and other generally accepted reasons — have been established there. The mosques are open, there are many of them and they are protected. There is real freedom of religion which does not exist in many Muslim states. The things that educated people and preachers can say there cannot be said in some Muslim countries.

There are many ways and possibilities of expressing oneself, and they are open to everyone. That, again, is hardly the case in the Muslim world. There is no prohibition on the peaceful promotion of Islam. Within the scope of legal possibilities and general relations between host and guest, one can express his opinion and represent his faith. (…)

I do not believe even that the rulers there (Germany) would close there office doors or their ears to the requests of the Muslim community. This is why I advise all to live togther peacefully. The wide world of Allah is open to anyone who cannot. And those who don’t want anything but killing, blood, robbery and theft have nothing to do with the religion of Allah the Exalted — neither in Germany nor anywhere else.

‘The Bite of Food that He Earned Himself Is Tasteful and Sweet’

When it comes to earning a living, work and unemployment, I do not think that it is permitted to rely on the German state and to avoid working to make a living, and instead claim unemployment benefits or similar. It is true that there are some lines of employment that are inappropriate for Muslims (…) but it is also true that there are many, many other possibilities for working that, from an Islamic perspective, are halal and thus permitted. (…) It is better the he (the Muslim) live from the work of his hands and the sweat of his brow because the mouthful is flavorsome and sweet. (…)

As for those in the streets of Hamburg who think about jihad in the path of God, they should think about life, because this is the true jihad in the path of God. The mere fact that there are 46 prayer rooms in Hamburg is in and of itself evidence of the tolerance showed by the German state towards Muslims. There is no comparably large number of churches in a city in any Islamic country. I know quite a bit about the fragmentations between the founders of those mosques and even within particular mosque communities. It has gone so far that this fragmentation has become one of the outstanding characteristics of the Muslims. This sorrowful state weakens the Muslim’s power. (…) Even when they want to engage in dialogue with the German state over certain issues, they confuse the state with all these conflicts.

‘The German Chancellor Is Great’

It is only just that I say that the other side — and with that I mean the German government — without any doubt does not guaranty all rights to immigrants. And I hope that they will stand up and see to it that their demands are met and that their suffering is eased and that they are better protected from attacks by xenophobes. Money must be invested in order to improve living conditions for immigrants as well as their level of education, their health care and their housing.

It is rude to demonize and insult the German government or Chancellor Merkel (…) is an immorality. The principle of biting the hand that feeds you doesn’t fit with Allah’s saying: “Don’t insult those who call upon another God than Allah.” (…)

What is the use of insulting the chancellor and describing her as a Taghut (or despot)? That’s nonsense. It doesn’t lead anywhere. The German chancellor is great. Germany has its religion and you have yours. The chancellor has her work and you have yours. (…) Germany has opened its doors to you and you have received something from its treasury, while you at the same time have not received anything from your own people. (…)

‘I Want to Guide My Brothers’

Finally, I say these are some of my answers that I have given. (…) I have not said any of this in order to achieve something. I want to guide my brothers in Islam and to point their attention to what is useful for them, especially since I am suffering in prison and have been misunderstood.

It has already been six years now since I was unjustly jailed.

I also say this, because many of you hold me in high esteem and trust my opinion. This is my opinion and that is my view.

I promise my daughter that I will answer all her questions in order to serve justice in the first and the last instance. May Allah grant success.

This has been written by Muhammad bin Muhammad El Fazazi who is been kept as a prisoner in the Tangier city prison unjustly, July 21, 2009.”

Editor’s note: This text is based on a German translation of Fazazi’s original Arabic letter that was commissioned by German security authorities. SPIEGEL ONLINE does not possess a copy of the Arabic original. About one-third of the original document has been removed in this abridged version because the passages were either difficult to understand or redundant.

Het is mij nog niet geheel duidelijk wat ik ervan moet denken. De herziening die El Fizazi doet past dus wel in een breder patroon van mensen die (oprecht zo lijkt het toch) deels afstand hebben gedaan van hun oude ideeen. In El Fizazi’s geval dan vooral voor wat betreft het gebruik van geweld in Westerse landen. Strijden tegen wat hij ziet als onrecht blijft wel belangrijk en hij wijst (in de brief althans) geweld niet in alle gevallen af. Aan de andere kant het gegeven dat deze brief (zoals die in Der Spiegel) via de veiligheidsdienst naar buiten is gekomen, zal het vertrouwen in de authenticiteit niet bepaald vergroten. De weigering van sommigen om het te geloven of, wanneer ze het wel geloven, kan er ook op wijzen dat de radicalisering wat dieper zit dan menigeen denkt en dat men niet blind zomaar wat geleerden navolgt zoals ook al eerder duidelijk werd in de zaak van Al Maqdisi. In ieder geval wijst El Fizazi’s brief op belangrijke vragen die leven en die betrekking hebben op één centrale vraag: wat zijn de grenzen van gewelddadige Jihad?

1 comment.

November, 2009

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