The
Location:
The kingdom of
Holland, which is located in the lower part of the northern and
western Europe, is characterized by its historical, geographical,
educational and political background that greatly and profoundly
affected Europe’s contemporary life and history as a whole.
In the last
three centuries, Holland was known as a country that shared in the
Western Colonization to most Islamic and Asian countries; however,
such role has gradually retracted due to the emergence of other
universal and political powers. Immediately after the World War II,
and after the damage that hit Europe’s industrial and agricultural
structure, Holland became a destination to most Muslim laborers and
people. What helped in increasing number of immigrants to this country
is the facilitation which the government has an concerning
immigration, or the reunification of families. Consequently, in the
last decades of the 20th century, Islamic communities have
started not only to flourish but also to intermix
in the social and political life of the country. However, in
spite of all the above-mentioned advantages, the Islamic communities
still have their own worries, entireties, problems, ambitions and
hopes as well. Our main concern in this survey is to cast the light on
such issues.
Holland was and still is a kingdom that has a government with
many ministers headed by the prime-minister, who is appointed by the
queen
.
Its parliament consists of two legislative assemblies: 75 members in
the first council while 150 in the second. These members are elected
by the people, Besides, Holland is divided into twelve political
regions, and its population is15.878.304 according to the statistics
of the year2000, and the Muslims constitute 0.3 % of the total
population.
-The
Characteristics of the Dutch Society
What
Characterizes Holland’s social life is the absence of values where
people disdain whatever is associated with morals. For instance,
addiction to alcohol and drugs dominates people’s behavior. The
cities witness licentiousness and wantonness whereas the villages
still try to keep some conservative customs and traditions especially
in family matters, which is somehow protected from being ruined.
Furthermore, what draws out attention is the people’s total
carelessness towards religious duties. Rarely do they visit churches;
they are thoroughly dissented. Religious marriage is the least
important to them; only 22% prefer religious marriage. Indeed, church
and religious duties are the elders’ responsibility. In addition,
what darkens the image of Holland’s social life is the unlimited
facilitations the government has recently decreed concerning the
individual’s freedom. The laws in Holland have allowed the marriage
of the sexually perverted, and it gives such people all the civil
rights of the other ordinary citizens; for instance, they are allowed
to serve in the army as well as any other profession they desire.
Moreover, the government is so flexible and merciful with them that it
founded special organizations and entertainment clubs specifically for
them. Needless to say that Holland is the forerunner in holding a
conference about perverted marriages.
-The
Dutch and the Others:
In spite of some of the natives’ hostility to Islam and
Muslims, the Dutch people are known for their tolerance and acceptance
of the other. In fact, they show forgiveness and respect to other’s
religions, traditions, customs, and habits. They are neither fanatic
nor racist. Consequently , Muslims
from Bosnia, Somalia,
Afghanistan, and Iran have recently immigrated to Holland. As a result
of such an attitude, the number of
immigrants in the year 1990, reached 21200. Most importantly,
the number of Christians who converted to Islam has increased from
2500 in the year 1990 to 4000 in the year 1999. Although slight, the
number constitutes an addition to the above-mentioned statistics.
Although Muslims in Holland belong to different nationalities, Such as
Somalis, Afghani, Iranians, Iraqis, Lebanese, Syrians, Egyptians,
Indonesians and Pakistanis, both The Turkish and the Moroccans
constitute the highest percentage. As to religion, Muslims are divided
into five sects; Shafeis, Hanafis, Malikis, Alawites, and Shiites, in
addition to many others Sufi sects.
Muslims’
participation in political life
In
1990, the Dutch parliament legislated a law through which foreigners,
who spend five years continuously in Holland, are allowed to take part
in the Municipal elections either as voters or as candidates. And in
spite of their limited and poor participation in the beginning, their
involvement in political life became wider and more dominant in
1994. Consequently, the representatives in the municipalities became
75 members in 1998 after they had been 25 only. Like wise, the number
of members in the Dutch Parliament increased from 4
members in 1994 to 7 in 1998…. But this does not mean that
Muslims have overcome all the obstacles which face them .On the
contrary, they still need hard efforts to prove themselves
politically, socially, and religiously, not only in Holland, but also
in all the rest of the West as well. Needless to say that there is
still Western rejection to appoint a Muslim ambassador, a Muslim
minister or a judge, no matter how professional or distinctive they
are.
The
government plans to facilitate consolidation.
After
the important Muslims’ achievements in both the Dutch local
governments and the parliament, they were able to benefit from certain
favorable laws as a result of
the participation of the Labor party in the ruling coalition
that helped in the emergence of different legislations which
functioned as a safety net for the foreign labor, especially Muslims:
Out of these legislations come the law of social security, the law of
reunification, the law of retirement, and the law of children’s
allowances.
The
Dutch government enacted many other social, educational, religious,
and political laws which not only helped to attract foreigners to
Holland, but also helped in integration of the foreigners with the
natives. In these laws,
The Dutch government provided for the following:
1-Foreigners
can get their citizenship after five years of legitimate residence.
They are not obliged either to work or to know the language. They are
free in these matters.
2-
Citizenship can be easily donated to the foreigners without a need to
forego their original identity or nationality. This law tempted
Muslims to inhabit Holland, Thus, Muslims who got the Dutch
citizenship have increased to 171000.
3-
To facilitate cohesion between foreigners and natives, the government
organized programs to familiarize the foreigners with both the
language and the country-traditions.
4-
The government Supported the Islamic educational and social
organizations and provided them with the needed means.
5-
The government fought unemployment among both the Dutch and the
Muslims. And it was able to decrease it gradually.
6-
The Dutch civil service employed Muslim women wearing hijab..
The
Founding of Islamic Institutions
The
Islamic organizations constitute a fundamental structure which Muslims
depend on in their existence in Holland.
In fact, Muslims identify with such organizations.
Not only do they consider them the safety valve that protects
them, but also the means that attends to all their demands and daily
needs as well. Here, we will cast the light on some of these organizations.
1
– The Mosques and The Praying Rooms:
The
Dutch constitution is so strict that it bans any social, religious,
racial or color discrimination. The
Dutch authorities allow the freedom of free expression, the freedom of
religion, and the freedom of practicing rituals.
Accordingly,
the number of mosques has recently increased from 300 Mosques in 1990
to 500 in 1999. Furthermore,
what draws our attention is the authorities’ care and support for
the construction of new Mosques.
They donated Muslims the lands where they can build as many
Mosques as possible. That
is why we see the Mosque of Aya Sofia in Zondam and Al -Fatah in
Rotterdam.
2
– The Islamic Schools:
The
Dutch constitution has guarantied the right to open religious schools
to all religions and sects, and the
government’s financial support to such institutions has encouraged
and helped in the construction of many Islamic schools. For
instance, two Islamic elementary schools were built in 1988.
Simultaneously, many other schools were founded until they
become 35 schools with the establishment of the first Islamic
secondary school in Amsterdam in the year 2000.
. In addition,
Muslims’ interest in education in Holland is so conspicuous that
they constructed the first Islamic university in Rotterdam.
This
University has become the Muslims’ platform through which they could
instruct students not only how to protect and keep their values, but
also how to be good and effective citizens, in their society.
Furthermore, although the Islamic University coordinates with
other Dutch universities, it takes Arabic as its basic language.
Accordingly, students are required to know and master the
Arabic language. In its
curriculum, the Islamic university teaches the Islamic major sources
and references and thus provides the Muslims living in the country
with a profound knowledge about
their culture and heritage .
The
Islamic cemeteries:
The
need for constructing Islamic cemeteries began definitely in the
nineties. Before that,
Muslims used either to send the corpses to their homelands or to use
the Christian cemeteries, then the
Muslims realized their need for Islamic cemeteries of their own in
which the burial could be
performed according to their own rituals.
Accordingly, Islamic cemeteries were founded in all
the major cities of the country
Problems
and Obstacles:
In
spite of all the above mentioned advantages of the way of living in
Holland, the Muslim community is still facing many troubles which
hindered its progress towards, a better future and a better Islamic
life as well. Now we’ll
cast the light on such issues: First, Muslims failed in setting a
common law that represents them all.
The Dutch government insists on having a unified council that
represents all Muslims of different sects and trends.
The government’s purpose is simply to facilitate its
negotiations with these sects, in times of troubles. Besides, the
government aims at avoiding any contestation for the Muslim
representatives. Furthermore, the Muslim community in Holland has proven its weakness towards what is going in the Arab and
Islamic worlds as well.
Muslims
in Holland neither show any concern to the Iraqi invasion against
Kuwait nor any core or sympathy to Al Intifada in Palestine.