Amsterdam Mayor: No Unemployment Benefits for Women who Wear Burka

Job Cohen (Labor), the mayor of Amsterdam, has said that if women cannot find employment because they wear the burka, they should not be entitled to unemployment benefits. He added that he considers it terrible to see a woman in a burka, but he is against forbidding it in general. However, according to Cohen, the situation is different according to Cohen in the work place where it is necessary to have contact with others in order to function.
www.trouw.nl/incoming/article2874306.ece/Cohen__Geen_uitkering_voor_boerkadrager_.html

Rotterdam Mayor: High Immigrant Criminality Affects Image of all Newcomers

Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb has said that the over representation of non-Western immigrant youngsters among criminals undermines the position of thousands of other immigrant youngsters who are striving for success in their future lives. He added that as long as there are people, wherever in the world, who misbehave and commit crimes in the name of Islam, the Muslims in Rotterdam will also suffer the consequences. He therefore called on Rotterdam Muslims to play an active role in the fight against radicalization.
www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederland/article2872148.ece/_Misdaad_allochtonen_schaadt_meerderheid_.html

Meteorological Institute Misreported Temperature for Years.

The Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute KNMI has during many years reported incorrect temperatures from its main weather station in De Bilt. The measurements were until recently half a degree to high. This became evident when, without publicizing it, the station was somewhat relocated and temperatures published became more in line with those of a private station. “Scientists have known for a long time that the KNMI’s location was not representative.” said Prof. Bert Holtslag who teaches meteorology at Wageningen University. The KNMI refuses to comment.
www.parool.nl/parool/nl/224/BINNENLAND/article/detail/262727/2009/09/24/KNMI-meldt-jarenlang-verkeerde-temperatuur.dhtml

Parliamentarian Attacks Barman

Hero Brinkman, a MP of the right wing PVV party, has attacked the barman of the parliamentary press center Nieuwspoort in The Hague, after he was refused additional drinks. Brinkman, a former policeman apologized afterwards and admitted that he has a drink problem. He is the spokesman of his party on home affairs, which includes law and order.
www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2009/09/pvv_mp_acknowledges_drink_prob.php

Expert: Amsterdam Incompetent Building Metro

The Amsterdam North-South metro line is one of the most complex building projects ever in the Netherlands. The Amsterdam Municipality had no competent organization to deal with the project. It did not even carry out a risk analysis. This was said to the inquiry commission into the metro problems by Peter Kieft, former engineering director of the national waterworks body (Rijkswaterstaat). Despite the demands for risk analysis before and during construction, it was only done in 2008 after major construction problems and budget overruns. Some municipal services even obstructed the construction.

http://www.parool.nl/parool/nl/1084/DOSSIER-NOORD-ZUIDLIJN/article/detail/262474/2009/09/22/NZ-lijn-Gebrek-aan-deskundigheid-bij-gemeente.dhtml

Wilders: Introduce Tax on the Muslim Headscarf

During the annual general political debate in the Dutch Parliament Geert Wilders leader of the PVV (Freedom Party) has proposed that any Muslim woman who wants to wear a Muslim headscarf has to apply for a license. They will also have to pay 1000 Euro per year. Wilders proposes that the money will go to womens emancipation projects. He added that he would prefer to ban the Muslim headscarf but this is legally not possible. The other parties reacted with disbelief to the proposal. www.rnw.nl/english/article/wilders-wants-headscarf-tax

Amsterdam Liberals: Stop Post-Ramadan Cinema Terror

The VVD (Liberal Party) municipal council faction asked Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen (Labour Party) to clarify municipal policy about the riots which broke out on Sunday night in the Pathe Munt Cinema. The cinema had to stop screenings after scores of Muslims rioted. The police had put in extra security anticipating Post-Ramadan acts of hooliganism as in previous years. Traditionally on those days many Muslim youth go to the movies. The Liberal Party stated that it is unacceptable that such riots break out in the framework of a religious holiday. Also in Rotterdam in the Pathecinema there were similar riots on Sunday. www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/4891729/__Opheldering_over__bioscoopterreur___.html

Dutch Want Royal Family to Have Less Money

Eighty percent of the Dutch are of the opinion that the salary of members of the royal family should be frozen and that they should start to pay income tax. They are also of the opinion that the royals should pay estate duties. This results from a poll by Maurice de Hond. The actual state budget foresees in an increase of income for the Queen, the Crown Prince and his wife. In the parliamentary debate PVV leader Geert Wilders proposed that the royals’ salaries should be reduced. This was supported by several other parties including Labor, the Socialist Party and the Green Left Party.

www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederland/article2866451.ece/Driekwart_bevolking_wil_bezuiniging_koningshuis_.html

Police Commanders Threaten Authors of Critical Report

The previous commanders of the Gelderland Central police corps destroyed an external report about the dissatisfaction among the personnel of one of its districts. The authors were told by the corps commander that if they did not eliminate all negative items from the report he would see to it that they would never again get assignments from the Dutch Police. This information results from an investigation undertaken on behalf of the police trade union NPB. www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/4845532/__Politietop_vernietigt_kritisch_rapport__.html

Military Trade Union: Doubts about Afghanistan War

Wim van den Burg chairman of the Military Trade Union AFMP/FNV has said that there are signs of major fraud under the leadership of President Karzai in the recent parliamentary elections in Afghanistan and that International Law has been broken. He added that before prolonging the Dutch military presence in the country beyond 2010 one has to investigate whether one should support such a government and why the Netherlands is present there. Minister of Defense Eimert van Middelkoop reacted that this statement was unworthy of a serious trade union. He said that there was no reason to become hesitant now, as the Dutch Government has taken upon itself commitments toward NATO and the Afghan people.
www.nd.nl/artikelen/2009/september/14/vraagtekens-militaire-vakbond-bij-doel-missie

Culemborg: Sixty Policemen End Ethnic Fight

After almost one week of unrest in the Terweijde problem neighborhood in Culemborg, 60 policemen of the Mobile Police Unit intervened to end the fight between youngsters of respectively Moroccan and Moluccan origin. About hundred hooligans were involved in the disturbances. On several of the previous nights access to the neighborhood had to be closed by the municipality.

www.elsevier.nl/web/Nieuws/Nederland/245818/ME-grijpt-in-bij-rellen-achterstandswijk-Culemborg.htm?rss=true

Wilders: Obama Resembles Chamberlain

Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party (PVV) has said that US President Barack Obama resembles former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. In Wilders opinion Obama "doesn't clearly view who the enemy is and thus appeases him. Instead he should have said: I defend my values and fight for them." He added that Obama and Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende are people whose style is "Let's hold each other's hands and sing songs under the Christmas tree all year long. We can close our eyes to the huge problems Islamization brings with it." www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederland/article2861291.ece/Wilders_haalt_uit_naar_Obama_.html

Most Negative State Budget since Second World War

The government will present on Tuesday the most negative state budget which since the Second World War. Savings will have to cover the consequences of the past crisis year, which will lead to costs of tens of billions of Euro in future years. The Dutch economy will shrink this year with 4.75% while for next year zero growth is expected. Eight percent of the Dutch professional population is expected to be unemployed next year. A major investigation of all governmental costs will be undertaken. The budget should not be in the public domain before it is officially presented, however it was leaked this year again. www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederland/article2861118.ece/_Somberste_Miljoenennota_sinds_WO_II_.html

Major Ethnic Problems in the Town of Ede

Mayor Van der Knaap of the town of Ede says that the atmosphere in the city leads to polarization and radicalization. This is the result of a study by the IVA research bureau, associated with Tilburg University. The Moroccan community and the Protestant community in the suburbs see each other as enemies. Moroccans in the town received national publicity when some of them organized festivities after 9/11. This group has since been in the news for burning cars, vandalism and threatening bus drivers. Two years ago it became known that the local mosque has a controversial Salafist preacher. On the other side there is a group of extreme right-wing youngsters who are responsible for many incidents. There was an attempt of arson near the construction site of a new mosque and the head of a pig was deposited at the site.
www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederland/article2857223.ece/Marokkaanse_en_Reformatorische_bevolking_op_voet_van_oorlog.html

Arrests after Hanging of Effigy of Wilders

The police in The Hague found a doll on which a picture of Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders had been attached with a knife. The doll was hanged on a tree with a rope around its neck. A substance meant to look like blood was smeared on the picture. The police have arrested four people aged 18 and 19 who claimed that this was an art project from their school. Two of those arrested have in the meanwhile been released. Wilders has said that he will put in a complaint with the police.
www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederland/article2857159.ece/Arrestaties_voor_ophangen_pop_Geert_Wilders_.html

Brakes of New Police Cars Don’t Function Properly

It has been found that the newest cars of the national police corps have brakes which do not function properly. This relates to Volvo diesel cars which can reach a speed of 215 kph. However the brakes do not meet the requirements of the police and spontaneously catch fire after being used at high speeds. As a result, the management of the corps has now given orders not to allow these cars to go faster than 140 kph. A spokesman has confirmed that policemen will not be permitted to use these cars for pursuits. Only older cars will be used for this purpose.
www.parool.nl/parool/nl/224/BINNENLAND/article/detail/260643/2009/09/02/Nieuwe-volvo-s-politie-mogen-niet-te-hard-rijden.dhtml

After Police Killing Rotterdam to Confront Hooligans

At festivities in Hoek van Holland, where 150-200 drunks and drug addicts rioted, 21 policemen fired shots. One person was killed and six people were wounded. The Rotterdam municipality now intends to crack down against criminal cells. This was announced by the towns mayor, Ahmed Aboutaleb (Labor Party). He added that there must be a limit to what people who call themselves Rotterdam Hooligans can be allowed to do. He added that the police have 1200 files of potential hooligans in the city. Municipal councilor Marco Pastors (Livable Rotterdam faction) asked the mayor how many additional hooligans had already been detained, in addition to the three arrests on the evening of the riots. The mayor answered that no further arrests had been made.

www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1285025.ece/Rotterdam_opent_aanval_op

Sharp Increase in Anti-Semitism in The Netherlands

In its annual report on anti-Semitism the CIDI (Center for Information and Documentation Israel) mentions that in January 2009 there was a disproportionately large number of anti-Semitic incidents in the Netherlands. The Center says that in that one month there were almost as many anti-Semitic incidents as in the whole of 2008. The report concludes: “the idea that the Netherlands is a place where Jews can live safely and undisturbed was damaged in a single month.”
www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederland/article2853524.ece/Cidi_ziet_scherpe_stijging_antisemitisme.html

Eleven Soldiers Arrested in Amsterdam

Eleven soldiers, aged 18-34, were arrested in Amsterdam on suspicion of destroying street furniture in the city. The military police is investigating while the soldiers are being held in custody. This was communicated by the ministry of defense.
www.parool.nl/parool/nl/4/AMSTERDAM/article/detail/260660/2009/09/02/Militairen-opgepakt-in-Amsterdam.dhtml

Authorities Neglect Failures of Neurologist for more than Ten Years

A report produced for the MST hospital in Enschede shows that, for many years, a certain neurologist has made incorrect diagnoses, prescribed the wrong medications and stolen pharmaceuticals from the hospital. The Commission of Inquiry also has major criticism of the Inspectorate for Health and the previous board of the hospital, which had assured the Inspectorate that there were no problems with the quality of this doctor’s work. Already in 1998 a colleague had complained about this neurologist. In 2001 the hospital paid a compensation of 7,000 Euros for mistakes made in this doctor’s treatment and forced her to keep the settlement secret.
www.trouw.nl/nieuws/zorg/article2851526.ece/Vereniging_neurologen_geschokt_door_rapport_specialist.html

Rotterdam Municipality: All Antillean Men in the Squares are Suspect

The Rotterdam Municipality has distributed to all residents of the Tarwewijk neighborhood a folder explaining that all Antillean men caught loitering on the neighborhood squares are a priori suspects. This is because there are too many problems in the neighborhood, including drugs. The police watch these people specially and if they are arrested, they are either punished or given special treatment. Glenn Helberg, the Chairman of the Organization of Caribbean Dutchmen, has said that they will take action against the municipality, as it is wrong to claim a whole ethnic group as problem-makers. He added that this is stigmatizing and promotes discrimination.

www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/4680691/__R_dam___Alle_Antilianen_verdacht___.html