More Dutch Politics
Well, we have had quite a see-saw weekend.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born member of parliament and vitriolic critic of islam, has been surrounded with bodyguards since 2002. She has moved house more often than I have ordered a beer. As a result, she has had no life and really could not function as politician. I have expressed my regrets and concerns abou this situation several times (though not on this blog). I also happen to strongly disagree with just about everything she says and I believe her influence or importance are grossly overrated.
Last week a documentary was aired in which it some pieces of public knowledge were 'revealed': she lied about her name and date of birth during the intake interview with the IND (Hirsi Ali is a refugee, fleeing a forced marriage in 1991). She subsequently acquired Dutch nationality in 1997. The minister for immigration and integration, Rita Verdonk (yes her), has interpreted the law and made policy accordingly that such untruths are sufficient to revoke citizenship and she has done. The most recent case concerned an Iraqi family who lied about their exact names in order to avoid possible harm that could befall their relatives (they fled about 15 years ago). They had been living in Holland as Dutch nationals for more than 10 years, but when the deceit came out (because this family wanted to change their names in the official records since Saddam is ousted and they are no longer a threat to their Iraqi relatives), the IND ordered their citizenship to be revoeked.
Verdonk saw herself 'forced' to apply the rules to Hirsi Ali and announced within 24 hours that Hirsi Ali was not Dutch after all. Accordingly, Hirsi Ali resigned from parliament (she has to if she is not Dutch citizen). I felt very sorry for her... just like most people. Her parliamentary colleagues try very hard to have her citizenship not revoked (now that it concerns a friend and colleague they are all of a sudden very indignant about our asylum policies -- they were completely silent when the same thing happened to this family).
However, when I found out what Hirsi Ali is going to do next diminished my sympathies considerably: she is taking up a well-paying job with the American Enterprise Institute... Wait, the AEI is a think tank in Washington that supports Bush and is so right-wing that Hirsi Ali's political party (the conservative VVD) looks like a nambe-pamby liberal lot in comparison. I mean, these guys are off the scale.
And now I started to think, who has been influencing her all these year in parliament? Who has been talking to her? Where did she get her ideas from...?
More on Hirsi Ali and islam bashing some other time...
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born member of parliament and vitriolic critic of islam, has been surrounded with bodyguards since 2002. She has moved house more often than I have ordered a beer. As a result, she has had no life and really could not function as politician. I have expressed my regrets and concerns abou this situation several times (though not on this blog). I also happen to strongly disagree with just about everything she says and I believe her influence or importance are grossly overrated.
Last week a documentary was aired in which it some pieces of public knowledge were 'revealed': she lied about her name and date of birth during the intake interview with the IND (Hirsi Ali is a refugee, fleeing a forced marriage in 1991). She subsequently acquired Dutch nationality in 1997. The minister for immigration and integration, Rita Verdonk (yes her), has interpreted the law and made policy accordingly that such untruths are sufficient to revoke citizenship and she has done. The most recent case concerned an Iraqi family who lied about their exact names in order to avoid possible harm that could befall their relatives (they fled about 15 years ago). They had been living in Holland as Dutch nationals for more than 10 years, but when the deceit came out (because this family wanted to change their names in the official records since Saddam is ousted and they are no longer a threat to their Iraqi relatives), the IND ordered their citizenship to be revoeked.
Verdonk saw herself 'forced' to apply the rules to Hirsi Ali and announced within 24 hours that Hirsi Ali was not Dutch after all. Accordingly, Hirsi Ali resigned from parliament (she has to if she is not Dutch citizen). I felt very sorry for her... just like most people. Her parliamentary colleagues try very hard to have her citizenship not revoked (now that it concerns a friend and colleague they are all of a sudden very indignant about our asylum policies -- they were completely silent when the same thing happened to this family).
However, when I found out what Hirsi Ali is going to do next diminished my sympathies considerably: she is taking up a well-paying job with the American Enterprise Institute... Wait, the AEI is a think tank in Washington that supports Bush and is so right-wing that Hirsi Ali's political party (the conservative VVD) looks like a nambe-pamby liberal lot in comparison. I mean, these guys are off the scale.
And now I started to think, who has been influencing her all these year in parliament? Who has been talking to her? Where did she get her ideas from...?
More on Hirsi Ali and islam bashing some other time...
posted by Bruno at Friday, May 19, 2006
3 Comments:
I think the absurdity of the whole asylum procedure has been nicely illustrated by this affair. Incredible to see how parliament has stooped with these motions that she should keep, or again acquire, dutch citizenship.
The only spark of light here is that one may expect this affair to have quite a negative impact in her bid for the VVD leadership. Although, on the other hand, it may well be argued that NOVA has been out on a Verdonk smear campaign these days.
What a mess.
Who has influenced her? What to think about H. Philipse also known as Pipse?
Yes, Philipse is a major influence, but I am starting to suspect that there may be more.
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