A report about a Leiden historian who claims that William of Orange was a practicing Muslim has spread like wildfire on the (Dutch speaking) internet. "It seems to have struck a sensitive chord," says Jochem van den Berg, who's behind the report.According to the report historian 'Tjalling Wenselaar' claims that William of Orange should appear in the history books as Yusuf Ibrahim of Orange Nassau. William's conversion to Islam, occurring in the spring of 1582, was 'strategic'. "In return for his conversion to Islam and Islamisizing the Dutch provinces, the Moorish khalif Abdul Abu Uzrim promised William military aid in in fight against the Spanish," according to Wenselaar. Since William was killed shortly afterward and his son loved wine and pork too much, it did not bring about the Islamization of the Netherlands. The Oranges tried to erase all traces of the conversion of their ancestor. University of Leiden researchers say the claim is obviously untrue and that they don't know of any Tjalling Wenselaar.
The report first appeared on the De Speld website, which at first glance looks like an internet news site. Jochem van den Berg confirms that it was indeed written by the site. The historian and the research don't exist. "We wanted to start off a discussion about Dutch identity. By way of satirical reflection we wrote the article from a Judeo-Christian and Islamic background."
"We had no idea that this article would spread like wildfire on the internet," beams Van den Berg. The phones of his colleagues and him have been ringing off the hook. "Turkish and Moroccan sites copied the article and we were also approached by the Muslim broadcaster and other Muslim organizations. they all reacted moderately." He says he got comments from the ethnic Dutch as well - people related to the PVV, Pim Fortuyn and Hirsi Ali. According to Van den Berg this shows that satire and Islam go rather well together.