 The Dutch immigration minister has agreed to reconsider her threat to revoke the citizenship of a Somali-born member of parliament, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, known for her opposition to fundamentalist Islam. Rita Verdonk said the threat was based on a television programme broadcast last week in which Ms Hirsi Ali admitted lying about her name and age on her asylum application when she fled to the Netherlands in 1992 to escape an arranged marriage.
On Monday Ms Verdonk said that under Dutch law, Ms Hirsi Ali's naturalisation was automatically void since she had lied. Ms Verdonk said Ms Hirsi Ali would retain an immigrant visa, and would be eligible to reapply for citizenship.
| Which Rita would then allow to twist in the wind ... |
The developments caused amazement among the public and politicians, including the prime minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, who questioned the speed with which Ms Verdonk made her decisions.
| "Rita, what are you doing to us?" |
Yesterday Ms Verdonk agreed to reconsider her first decision, and to reprocess Ms Hirsi Ali's naturalisation as quickly as possible if necessary.
| The sounds of backpedaling ... |
Ms Verdonk, from the libertarian VVD Party, is in a tight race for her party's leadership in elections on May 31. She has built her reputation on taking a hard line in immigration cases, and is popular with Dutch people who say they are fed up with the perceived failure of Muslim immigrants to integrate.
| Which wouldn't apply to Ms. Hirsi Ali, now would it, since she integrated into Dutch society, became an MP, and speaks passionately in defense of freedom ... oh, there's the problem. |
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