Strained Tolerance

The Dutch have been known as some of the most tolerant and friendly people in the world. Amsterdam comes to mind as the extremely diverse and tolerant capital of the country. Although, overall most of the country is conservative, the trait of tolerance has become rather strained in the current climate of religious difference and economic unrest.
The Hague is where the extreme (far right) views of Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Freedom Party (PVV) in the Dutch Parliament, have brought to light some deep anti-Islam feelings in a portion of the Dutch population. Mr. Wilders spoke to the American people (not as a representative of Holland - but as himself) at the Anti-Islamic Centre Rally on the ninth anniversary of 9/11 (11 Sept 2010). Relatively unknown, but well received at the protest, Wilders said "A tolerant society is not a suicidal society" (Radio Netherlands Worldwide - Unknown Wilders delivers keynote speech at 9/11 demo by RNW News Desk). "[...] Most Dutch politicians kept their lips tightly shut after the speech by Freedom Party Geert Wilders in New York. Politicians on the right-hand side of the political spectrum were particularly quiet [...]" (RNW).
Geert Wilders faces court Monday "for a total of six days (over the course of a fortnight) on charges of inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims" (RNW)

"[...] It is not just financial and economic developments that have a decisive impact on society. Developments within society likewise affect its quality. Social cohesion often used to be taken for granted in the Netherlands, but in recent years we have realis[z]ed that it is not a given. Even in the past, constant efforts were required to keep conflicts and differences of opinion under control. This is even more necessary today. Providing a counter-voice is the task not only of the government, but also of individuals and the many civil society organis[z]ations in our country. A harmonious society is built on respect, tolerance and common courtesy. It requires give and take, mutual understanding, and also the ability to adapt. This is a responsibility we all share. [...]" (Queen Beatrix' Speech from the Throne 2010, http://www.government.nl)

The State We're In - Keeping the faiths(s) was a very interesting show to listen to.The entire show is worth listening to, but I especially enjoyed hearing of the "unimaginable-to-many" story of a relatively new religion, Chrislam. It is a combination of Christianity and Muslim faiths.
"Christianity and Islam, of course, share the same roots. They're both what scholars call Abrahamic Religions. But what if they joined up and became one religion? It could happen, in fact, it already has... in Nigeria" host, Jonathan Gruber said in Keeping the faiths(s).
The story tells of a Christian pastor who had negative feelings toward Muslims. He ultimately fell in love and married a Muslim woman. "God wants to use me to pass on this message" he says. "Let's unite as brothers and sisters. Let there be no quarrel between Muslims and Christians. Nowhere does it say in the Bible or the Qur'an that you should kill your brother and sister to enter the Kingdom of God. He who kills will go to Hellfire. There must be a way we can speak to their hearts" (Keeping the faiths(s)). The rest of the show talks about proselytizing, atheism, and more.

Another recent story, Secret Jewish heritage converts neo-Nazi by Kristin Cuff, CNN, caught my attention. It's about a Neo-Nazi woman finding out she and her husband are Jewish. Her unplanned discovery is an emotional one. She had to go home to tell her Neo-Nazi husband that they are part of the people who they had hated so much. The couple made a complete life transformation. Their friend and mentor, Cheif Rabbi Michael Schudrich of Warsaw, Poland said, "The fact that they were skinheads actually increased the amount of respect I have for them. That they could've been where they were, understood that that was not the right way, then embraced rather than run away the fact that they were part of the people who they used to hate. I think also it says on a personal level, never write somebody off. Where they may be 10 years ago doesn't have to be where they are today. And the human being has this unlimited capability of changing and sometimes even for the better."Read the full story and see the CNN video clip here.

This story was especially interesting to me since one of my great grandmothers (*my MPM) (the one from Ede, NL) had hidden Jewish roots as well. I believe my Grandfather did not find out until her funeral in Iowa. I'm not sure when or exactly why she decided to hide it. I don't know who, besides herself, knew of it - but that is what I am doing now - investigating the reasons why.

*see the post titled The CODE for explanation.