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Imams leaving the Netherlands leaving vacuum
Muslim prayer leaders are leaving the Netherlands because they no longer feel welcome, increasing the risk that radicals could to fill the void, a Muslim leader said in an interview published on Thursday. Mohamed Ousalah, the vice-president of the Dutch Association of Imams, was quoted in the De Telegraaf newspaper saying that 180 of 450 mosques in the Netherlands no longer had an imam because foreign-born imams were leaving the country. Ousalah blamed the departures on an intolerant atmosphere towards Muslims since the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States and tougher immigration controls by the Dutch government. He warned the lack of guidance from more moderate imams at leaderless mosques increased the risk that extremists could step in to fill the vacuum with radical agendas. 'The situation is critical,' Ousalah said. 'In Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, dozens of imams have left. And that trend continues in other places.' The Dutch government has clamped down on immigration, threatened to deport failed asylum seekers and demanded new migrants learn Dutch and complete a mandatory integration course. 'Since the attacks of September 11 2001, imams have been connected with extremists and terrorists. They are faced with an enormous image problem,' Ousalah was quoted as saying. 'The government is also guilty because it is doing nothing about the problem,' he said. 'Even worse, the politicians are often calling for imams to be expelled.' Some imams have returned home to Morocco while others have moved to other European countries such as Belgium or Spain where they face fewer restrictions. Posted by: ryuge 2007-01-18 |
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