The Change Mariner

Effort in Netherlands to Halt Spread of Islamic Schools

RNW:
It probably won't win a majority in parliament, but a bill on halting the rapid spread of Islamic schools is causing uproar here in the Netherlands.

The bill's been tabled by the right-wing VVD party, one of the partners in the ruling coalition, and support seemed to come from an unexpected corner: not from the main government party, the Christian Democrats of prime-minister Jan-Peter Balkenende, but from the left wing Labour opposition, during whose time in government many of the Islamic schools were actually set up.

... We asked Islam and education specialist Pieter Sjoerd van Koningsveld what game that might be:

Perhaps they were attracted initially to support such a bill by perceived support from the public at large when it comes to Islamic schools and problems of integration. But in fact, the bill itself goes right against the constitutional system of the country. The majority of our primary schools are religious schools and it's impossible to take exceptional measures for one type of schools only."

"This is of course also an unattractive perspective for the Labour Party. I think by the way that many members of Ms Hirsi Ali's right wing VVD have doubt about this bill, but have allowed her to proceed to bring her defeat, because Ms Hirsi Ali's position within her own party is not uncontroversial either."

RN: "Nevertheless, as you point out, such a bill would get quite a lot of support from the public?"