What is it like to be a Muslim MP in a parliament that also houses the well-known anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders? Radio Netherlands' John Tyler spoke to two MPs in just that situation.

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Coskun Çörüz was born in 1963 in a fishing village on the Black Sea coast in Turkey. His family came to the Netherlands when he was six years old. 

Çörüz says the Christian Democrats was the only party which recognized the importance of religion in his life.

Today, dozens of Muslims represent the party at the local level.

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Populist right-wing politician Geert Wilders strides up to the lectern in the Dutch parliament, adjusts his papers, takes a sip of water, looks up and starts to speak.

“We should ban that fascist book, the Quran. It’s a book that calls for hatred and murder. If you took out all the hateful passages, you would be left with a book the size of a Donald Duck comic strip.”

This was just one of the dozens of times Mr Wilders has lashed out against Islam during a parliamentary debate. [Mr Wilders is on trial for similar comments he has made outside parliament. See our Geert Wilders dossier.]

Coskun Çörüz
Sitting just a few meters away listening to Mr Wilders is MP Coskun Çörüz, himself a Muslim.

"It makes me feel quite unpleasant when Wilders says that stuff. Because it’s quite personal, it reflects on one’s character. And I’m not willing to change my religion."

Mr Çörüz is one of seven Dutch members of parliament who identify themselves as practising Muslims (seven more are from a Muslim background but are non-practising).

Tofik Dibi
Tofik Dibi, with the Green Left party, is also a Muslim MP. He says he doesn’t let Mr Wilders’ remarks get to him and says his presence in the Dutch parliament is in and of itself a counterweight to Wilders’ anti-Islam arguments.

"A lot of people say to me, you probably feel really insulted when you sit there and listen to him. But I say, no, it’s not like that. I’m living proof that he’s wrong. I was brought up here, I’m Muslim, but I love freedom way more than he does."

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Tofik Dibi was born in 1980 in the Dutch province of Zeeland. His parents emigrated to the Netherlands from Morocco.

Mr Dibi has been a member of parliament for the Green Left since 2006.

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Muslim minority
Five percent of the Dutch parliament are practicing Muslims, an accurate reflection of the proportion of Muslims in Dutch society as a whole.

On the whole, the Muslims in parliament maintain a low profile; for example, none have ever requested special facilities in the parliamentary building, such as a private space to pray. During debates, Muslim MPs rarely make reference to their religion; none of them want to be labeled as 'the Muslim representative'.

Muslim working with Wilders
Mr Çörüz is a member of the Christian Democrats and played a prominent role in the talks to form the current coalition government. Çörüz actually spoke out in favor of working with Wilders (whose Freedom Party provides crucial support from parliament for the current minority government).

"I advocated this cooperation because the CDA is one of the oldest parties. I'm not afraid of a new party shouting anti-Islamic ideas. We don’t believe what he is saying, so we have to stand up and argue with him."

Speak for yourself
Mr Dibi, on the other hand, does not think the CDA should be cooperating with Geert Wilders. But, like Mr Çörüz, Mr Dibi wants to avoid the image that he speaks on behalf of all Dutch Muslims:

"I don’t get up in the morning and go to work and think: here’s a Muslim going to parliament. I just go to work and do my job. It’s annoying, because some people consider you a spokesperson for all Muslims."

This is a problem typical for minorities in any society. But since the Netherlands has a tradition of Christian parties (there are currently three Christian parties in parliament), why haven’t Muslims formed their own political party? Such a party could speak for all Muslims, in a way that individual politicians can - or will - not. Attempts have been made to form a Muslim party, but none have succeeded in bridging the diversity within the Muslim community.

Normal
Recent years have seen Muslims participating in Dutch politics in increasing numbers. Geert Wilders can say what he likes about Islam, but when he’s saying it in the Dutch parliament, chances are good that he’ll be looking into the eyes of a Muslim MP while he’s talking. But that has become so normal, no one even bothers to mention it.

But Mr Çörüz says Muslim MPs are here to stay.

"Muslims are a part of the Netherlands, and as we are a part of the Netherlands, we should participate in all structures. Politics, business, everything. One million Muslims are here, and so we are part of politics."

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