Tensions Mount in Fragile Netherlands’ Religious Community

Netherlands’ Christian community faced a series of attacks this past week, as church after church has been targeted by arsonists. Recently two churches were nearly burned to the ground in the latest collection of attacks, which have followed the murder of a controversial Dutch filmmaker police reported yesterday. Theo Van Gogh was the victim of a violent attack which saw him shot and stabbed to death by an Islamic Extremist on 2nd November, and since then a total of eighteen religious buildings have been the target for attacks.

Two ‘Molotov Cocktails’ were thrown at Protestant churches in Rotterdam; with one smashing through the church window and the other bouncing back to the pavement. Next police were called out to a small church in Utrecht, where another small fire had to be extinguished.

Eindhoven, which has also been the victim of religious attacks through the week with a Muslim school bombed on Monday, saw yet another Catholic school attacked and seriously damaged. Although the school is majority Catholic, it is attended by children of various religious faiths.

In all attacks, police have reported that there have been no injuries. Police also have stated to the press that arsonists’ are trying to burn down Protestant churches to retaliate against recent attacks that have been seen against Muslim sites, which are feared to be reprisals since the Dutch filmmaker’s death last week.

Van Gogh was one of he most outspoken critics of Muslim fundamentalists and often publicly spoke out against them. Even in his final film before his death he rebuked the treatment of women under the Islamic religion.

These criticisms of Islam and its customs were considered a serious taboo subject by many, even though the recent past has seen many Dutch people feel frustrations towards the conservative Muslims in the country.

Another trigger which has increased religious tensions in the country was the 9/11 attacks which left many to consider the dangers of political Islam. Since that time a huge debate has broken out in the country regarding anti-immigration laws, and these heated discussions have often alienated Holland’s Moroccan community, of which many Muslims are part of.

Only approximately 20% of Holland’s 900,000 Muslim population are practicing the religion, officials say that as many as 5% of those Muslims adhere to the conservative form of Islam.

Notices have been placed in Dutch newspapers by the Amsterdam Council of Churches, which have pledged solidarity with the Muslim community. However, the government’s response has been the promise of more money to fight terrorism and to enforce stronger immigration laws.