Holland - Leftwing Amsterdam Mayor Shocks With Refusal To Apply Burqa Ban

Ms Femke Halsema, the leftwing Mayor of the Dutch capital Amsterdam shocked the country’s government when she declared that the burqa ban which will come into effect soon, should not be upheld in liberal Amsterdam according to her.

Just like Denmark, Belgium, Austria, France and parts of Germany, Switzerland and Italy, Holland is now also thinking of introducing a burqa ban to its growing Muslim population.

Conservative minded politicians, under the leadership of Mr Geert Wilders of the rightwing PVV, think the introduction of a burqa ban will help the Muslims in Holland adapt to Western culture easier. At first, a limited ban on face covering veils will be introduced.

Related coverage: <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/42892-Holland-Government-Demands-Closure-Of-Islamic-University-Of-Europe">Holland - Government Demands Closure Of “Islamic University Of Europe”</a>.

Speaking to youngsters during a meeting in Amsterdam, Amsterdam Mayor Ms Halsema declared: “You can rest assured that we will not uphold the so called ‘burqa ban’ in Amsterdam. I will not allow the police to follow this rule. We won’t be doing that.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Exit Halsema!!!</p>&mdash; W. Veldhuis (@WVeldhuis88) <a href="https://twitter.com/WVeldhuis88/status/1066213267310346240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2018</a></blockquote>

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In June the ban on wearing face-covering clothing was approved by the Dutch parliament. That prohibition will apply in education, public transport, hospitals and government buildings. Anyone who violates the law risks a fine of 410 euros. A headscarf or a yarmulke is not covered by the ban.

<b>Niqab</b>

"It just does not fit Amsterdam that we take people out of the tram because they wear a niqab," said Ms Halsema, “I won’t be allowing that."

Ms Annabel Nanninga of the Amsterdam group Forum for Democracy expressed her dissatisfaction with the quote: "Once again, Amsterdam is thinking it’s possible to ignore laws that apply to everyone else in the Netherlands. "

<b>Fine</b>

Back in 2012, the Amsterdam police chief Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg had stated that officers would not always write a fine if they see someone walking with a burqa "the agent has to assess the situation on a case-by-case basis and can then choose whether to warn or distribute a fine."

Aalbersberg at the time compared it to a traffic violation, where the agents are free to check or not. "If a mother brings her children to a school two hundred meters away by car and does not carry a driving license, it is different than when someone from Maastricht drives around in Amsterdam for three days without a license."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="nl" dir="ltr">Boerka hier, boerka daar…<br><br>Laat ik het even bij mezelf houden: ik heb nog NOOIT in mijn leven een vrouw in (een) Burqa in levende lijve mogen aanschouwen; en ook niet in… <a href="https://t.co/NjXf5PHekL">https://t.co/NjXf5PHekL</a></p>&mdash; Ron Vonk (@ronniebonk) <a href="https://twitter.com/ronniebonk/status/1066139231003787264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2018</a></blockquote>

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However, as the government wants to install a burqa ban for the whole country now, Amsterdam, liberal as it is, would normally have to follow suit.

The initiative to ban burkas comes from PVV leader Mr Geert Wilders. His rightwing populist party is the second largest in the country.

Source:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43eiO8N6dIw

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