There are no Muslim parties intending to take part in June's parliamentary elections here in the Netherlands. One party, the Islam Democrats, says it is concentrating on local politics. The only other party, the Dutch Muslim Party, announced this week that it lacks the funds and the organisation to contest a national campaign.
More than 800,000 Muslims live in the Netherlands, nearly six percent of the population. Why has it been so difficult to launch a successful Muslim political party?
Divisions
The answer is that the Muslim community worldwide is divided, along ethnic lines, theological differences and political convictions. And the Netherlands is no exception. No Muslim party in the European Union has had electoral success at the national level.
Henny Kreeft, the founder of the Dutch Muslim Party and himself a convert to Islam, more or less illustrates the deep divisions when asked if he would consider merging with other Muslim parties.
"If it were necessary I would certainly consider it. But let’s first see whether we can get some kind of consensus. I think that’s the most important thing."
Differences with the Muslim community have gotten in the way of a large, umbrella party.
Hasan Kucuk, a representative on The Hague city council for the Islam Democrats, is involved in trying to set up just such a party. His party is modelled after the Christian Democrats, a merger of Catholic and Protestant parties of the past, and the most successful party in Dutch history.
"It all takes time. First you have to have the right awareness. Make sure that people go to the polls. If you are aware that Muslims don’t vote or at least hardly vote, you have to do something about that. First you have to change things at the local level."
Mr Kucuk's party has indeed had some success at the local level. And, yes, a national Muslim party would fit into the Dutch tradition of religion-based institutions. At the moment, there are three Christian-based parties represented in parliament.
Asked if a separate Muslim party is necessary, instead of encouraging Muslims to get involved with established parties, both Mr Kucuk and Mr Kreeft say Muslims who were active in established parties have been frustrated. When push comes to shove, the Muslim viewpoint does not surface, say both politicians.
If not now, when?
Another reason for a Muslim party is to provide a response to Geert Wilders’ anti-Islamic Freedom Party. Wilders’ party is doing very well in opinion polls, and he has managed to dominate the political agenda. Was there ever a better opportunity for Muslims to gather forces against a common adversary?
Professor Nico Landman of Utrecht University agrees:
Come 10 June, the day after the parliamentary elections, Muslims will still not have their own party in the Dutch parliament. When it comes to political organising, Muslims in the Netherlands have a long way to go.
***
Belgium - Muslim Democratic Party
Denmark - Denmark's Muslims
Email this Article
Printer-friendly version
This article completely disproves Geert's conspiracy theory thesis that there is a Muslim plot to take over the Netherlands. As with many other democratic countries, demographic analysis of the electorate along many lines is frequently studied and analyized. The tensions in India may easily lead one to conclude that this sort of microscopic breakdown of a national electorate is dangerous, but not so. John Tyler`s article is well within the boundaries of studying potential and intended voting patterns of various segments of the public. Don`t worry, Jasmin, all is still well at RNW!!
And why are United States and Britain strong and have stable governments- because they have two secular party system. Dutch have so many parties, like India, that there are problems in forming a stable government, and you keep going to polls every few years...what a huge loss of money...Wise people learn from the mistakes of other countries, but I find many countries following the same wrong strategy to govern, as India does. But, people like me have no say anywhere...
The hopeless state, India and Pakistan are today is because some people played the religion card.
Read this, if you do not believe me:The All India Muslim League (AIML) was formed in Dhaka in 1906 by Muslims who were suspicious of the Hindu-majority Indian National Congress. They complained that Muslim members did not have the same rights as Hindu members. A number of different scenarios were proposed at various times. Among the first to make the demand for a separate state was the writer/philosopher Allama Iqbal, who, in his presidential address to the 1930 convention of the Muslim League said that a separate nation for Muslims was essential in an otherwise Hindu-dominated subcontinent.
The Sindh Assembly passed a resolution making it a demand in 1935. Iqbal, Jouhar and others then worked hard to draft Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who had till then worked for Hindu-Muslim unity, to lead the movement for this new nation. By 1930, Jinnah had begun to despair of the fate of minority communities in a united India and had begun to argue that mainstream parties such as the Congress, of which he was once a member, were insensitive to Muslim interests.
@John Tyler and RNW, why are you putting up this article before the elections? I see no wisdom in raking up this issue. Do you want to divide the Dutch on the basis of religion? On one hand you scream for Muslim integration into the Dutch society and on the other hand you incite voters for a separate identity on the basis of religion and ethnicity. It is a dangerous card, you are playing RNW! Religion divides and never unites, and once you demarcate the boundaries of Christian party, Muslim Party and others, you have a divided Netherlands. But, it is your country, your politics and your site, do as you please, to attract more hits to the site,facebook and twitter, but it will hit Netherlands badly someday, mark my words!
Post new comment
Please be reminded all comments must be in English, short and to the point - guideline 250 words. Abusive and inappropriate comments will be removed.