Dutch Politicians seek PC input from universities

Facing immigration waves

Nations faced with a wave of immigration from a different civilization have to gain understanding of the invading civilization. European nations have been flooded with Muslims for the past 40 years. As a result there is a great need to inform policy makers, administrators and the public at large.

Lucis: a Dutch light on Islam

In response to this need a new institute for the study of Islam (Dutch) was opened in the University of Leiden, The Netherlands on October the 14th. One of the speakers invited was the Mayor of Amsterdam: Job Cohen (Labour Party). Mayor Cohen's city has a large Muslim population, you see.

Mayor Cohen's New Insights

At the opening of the institute Mayor Cohen charged that university experts (Dutch) do not manage to get the correct opinions accross to key audiences. In Mayor Cohen's view this is the cause of "politically incorrect" debating by Dutch politics and media. Mayor Cohen calls these views of Islam "views lacking in nuance". Job the Mayor called upon the fellows of the new institute to make sure that

their scientific knowledge and insights will not remain enclosed by the wall around the academic world. Universities have a societal responsability. Islam is more than a religion. It is a political factor and a social, cultural and historical phenomenon. There is so much to say about this Islam that scientific reflections may be of help. Reflections on Islam encompass the Muslim world and the everyday world which Muslims inhabit. Questions that ought to be answered are: is Islam a religion of violence? Is the Netherlands Islamizing? Is Islam be unreformable and therefore backward? Can Islam live together with Western democracy and the rule of law?

Mayor Cohen's Shtick

all attention in debating Islam in The Netherlands goes to "radical" Islam, although radical Islam is only a minor part of the totality of that religion. Moreover the debate is polluted with matters such as crime and anti-social behaviour. Because Dutchmen are not ridding themselves of this one-sided view the average Muslim is left in the cold.

What is the significance of Cohen's presence at LUCIS?

The fact that Mayor Cohen was invited to the opening of the new Leiden University institute indicates that he was involved in securing its funding. The other speakers at the opening are all connected to the academe and there is the Dutch Secretary General of NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. Mr. De Hoop Scheffer and Mr. Cohen are not noted for their knowledge of Islam. But they are known for their expertise at managing purse strings. And he who pays, calls the tune. In his speech Mayor Cohen made clear which two messages he wants to hear from the LUCIS institute. One: he wants LUCIS to tell HIM what ISLAM is really about. He wants the institute to answer questions such as:

"is Islam a religion of violence?"

This is a remarkable question for someone of Job Cohen's convictions. It may be an indication that Mr. Cohen is starting to doubt the multi-cultural creed. But to the general public Mr. Job Cohen wants another tune played. He is clearly instructing LUCIS to influence the media and the debate in such a way that the tendency of

... Dutchmen ... not ridding themselves of this one-sided view ...

is countered. Thus LUCIS is the latest effort to fool the Dutch public while handing the class of political experts and managers real insights.

What is the significance of Job the Mayor?

Well, Mr. Job Cohen is the mayor of the biggest city of The Netherlands. A city with nearly a hundred thousand Muslims. Right now his party, Labour, is doing exceedingly bad in the polls and at an all time low. In fact Labour is down to about a third of their usual votes and may occupy not even ten percent of the seats in Parliament if the polls are anything to go by.

Mr. Cohen's next step up

Mr. Job Cohen is an unusually gifted administrator and there are many people in the Labour party who want him to join the leadership of Labour at the national level. He could even be the new leader of Labour in the next round of elections. No matter what the exact distribution of seats is going to be, all mayor political parties will be culled and Labour will be a necessary part of any broad, multi-party coalition which will be formed. This three- or four-party coalition will NOT include Geert Wilder's Freedom Party (PVV) and will try to implement the usual Multi-Cultural policies that the political class has managed to foist on the Dutch public for the past 40 years.

How does LUCIS fit in all this?

And then LUCIS, the new Ministry of Truth, will come mighty handy to Mr. Cohen and his political cronies in The Netherlands and in NATO.