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| Europe |
| Hirsi Ali Question Plunges VVD Into Crisis |
| 2006-05-16 |
| THE HAGUE, 17/05/06 - The Ayaan Hirsi Ali question has plunged the conservatives (VVD) into a deep crisis. The pivot is VVD Integration Minister Rita Verdonk, who has decided that the Somalia-born VVD MP and world famous Islam-critic is not a Dutch citizen. Verdonk surprised friend and foe on Monday evening by announcing that Hirsi Ali "has not received Dutch citizenship." Based on a ruling by the Supreme Court in 2005, she has with retrospective effect never become a citizen of the Netherlands, because her asylum application in 1992 was made on the basis of a false name and date of birth, according to the VVD minister. Within the VVD, reactions were "emotional and shocked," said MP Annette Nijs yesterday afternoon after a specially-called party meeting. "The MPs are completely behind Ayaan," she added. Verdonk thereby appears to be isolated within the party of which she may become the leader on 1 June. Many VVD MPs spoke in tremulous voices about Verdonk's decision, which preceded yesterday's decision by Hirsi Ali to leave the Lower House and the country. Prominent VVD MP Bibi de Vries had scathing words for the minister. "If something were to happen to Hirsi Ali, there are people within the VVD who have blood on their hands. (...) What if they kill her? That is my greatest fear." MP Jozias Van Aartsen, who resigned as party leader on 8 March, said he was shocked, "just like many of my colleagues." "This shows that we cannot handle a woman like Ayaan in the Netherlands (...) "It cannot be that voices from the US are crying, 'Netherlands, what are you doing." Verdonk said nothing in her letter to the Lower House on Monday evening about the possible consequences for Hirsi Ali. If she became a stateless person, she might lose her state-provided protection, introduced due to persistent death threats by radical Muslims. She has the opportunity to respond to the decision within six weeks, Verdonk wrote. Verdonk's conclusion is particularly remarkable as it emerges from an investigation only launched two days earlier. Generally, results of such investigations take months. Sources in The Hague see the rapid and harsh decision as a campaign move; 'Iron Rita' likes to present herself as decisive. Verdonk is currently battling with Education State Secretary Mark Rutte to become Van Aartsen's successor. The neck-and-neck race will be decided by the 40,000 VVD members, who have been able to vote since last week. The results will be announced on 1 June - many votes have however already been irrevocably cast. Lower House Speaker Frans Weisglas said he was "shocked by the strong language" of Bibi de Vries on Verdonk. MP Charlie Aptroot also termed her remarks "scandalous." The minister "is doing no more than to carry out the law in an extremely consistent way," he argued. But the general mood within the VVD yesterday was strongly pro-Hirsi Ali and strongly anti-Verdonk. VVD MEP Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert considers Verdonk's action "disgusting" and believes the Netherlands is making itself ridiculous internationally be treating Hirsi Ali so "unbelievably coldly." Geert Dales, mayor of Leeuwarden and drafter of the VVD party manifesto, feels "bewildered" that the case could cut up so rough after years. He pointed out that Hirsi Ali had already admitted in 2002 that she had lied in her asylum application, though this is now been presented as news. Dales considers "what is being done to Hirsi Ali is going too far" after she has been guarded for years against terrorists "and her freedom of speech restricted". |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #4 I'm shocked. I always thought the Dutch were made of sterner stuff. Maybe there is no hope for Europe. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2006-05-16 23:16 |
| #3 so much for buying anything Dutch |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-05-16 20:09 |
| #2 Another light goes out in Europe. More like 1938 every day. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-05-16 19:46 |
| #1 I will not deal with any bussiness located in the Netherlands. You Dutch people can go screw yourelves if you can't jerk the chain of this bigot pig dog Rita Verdonk and undo her criminal acts. Piss on you and your Queen. Dithering retards. Stick that in your hash pipe and smokle it. |
| Posted by: SPoD 2006-05-16 19:22 |