From The Telegraph (U.K.) and Alliance Defense Fund:
Dutch politicians revolt over burka plans
Christian Democrats are in revolt against their party leaders over plans to ban the burka as part of a deal to create a Dutch liberal-conservative coalition government with the support of Geert Wilders, a far-Right leader.
By Bruno Waterfield
Published: 6:32PM BST 01 Oct 2010
Right-wing Dutch MP Geert Wilders Photo: PA Many Christian Democrats, who are meeting at their annual congress in Arnhem today are concerned that an alliance with Mr Wilders and his anti-Islamic party will damage religious freedom and erode tolerance in the Netherlands.
The backing of his Freedom Party is essential to form the first Dutch minority government since the Second World War after hung elections in June prevented the Liberal, VVD and Christian-Democrat, CDA parties from forming a majority, giving the balance of power to Mr Wilders.
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Jewish group sues Amazon over 'Nazi' booksControversy within the CDA over a coalition agreement that includes tough new legal restrictions and bans on Islamic dress will be further fuelled by the fact that Mr Wilders goes on trial in an Amsterdam court on Monday for inciting hatred and insulting Muslims.
His prosecution follows his repeated comparisons of the Koran to Adolf Hitler’s book Mein Kampf and the release of a film, he authored, that compares Islam to Nazism.
At least two Christian Democrat MPs have expressed opposition to the parliamentary alliance with Mr Wilders, enough to deny the VVD-CDA government, with only 52 seats, a majority of 76 seats even with the support of his 24 anti-Muslim deputies.
There is particular concern among practising Christian CDA members over the impact on religious freedom of a ban on burkas and new rules prohibiting police officers and other government staff from wearing any form of the Islamic headscarf.
”Freedom is for all, in the same measure - whether you’re Dutch or of ethnic origin, Muslim or Christian, man or woman,” Maxime Verhagen, the CDA leader, said yesterday (FRI) in a final hour effort to reassure his party.
But other members of the party have rebelled against an ideological drift away from the centrist instincts of the Christian Democratic tradition towards Right-wing conservatism.
That divide is expected to define the outcome of the special convention of the 4,000-strong CDA membership in the border town of Arnhem.
Influential members of the party have predicted the debate will be a contentious battle for the party’s soul.
“For me, the CDA is a Christian party,” said Senator Hans Hillen. “More and more of our voters would rather change the 'C’ to 'Conservative’.”
An opinion poll by Maurice de Hond among 3,000 Dutch people showed 57 percent wanted the Christian Democrats to approve the deal. Approval among Christian Democrat voters was 79 percent.
But Mr Wilders has also extracted concessions that will define the new government’s legacy even though his followers will remain on the backbenchs. New restrictions on immigration with, including conditional passports for newly naturalised migrants, to be withdrawn if they commit crimes in the first five years.
Under the deal his Freedom Party will vote with VVD-CDA in parliamentary votes but will not enter the Cabinet or formal government, a step that most liberals and Christian Democrats could not stomach.
Mr Wilders has boasted that agreement is a triumph. “We want the Islamisation to be stopped,” he said.
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