DUTCH REACTIONS TO CARTOON CONTROVERSY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 000257 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/UBI, EUR/PPD SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O.12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO NL SUBJECT: DUTCH REACTIONS TO CARTOON CONTROVERSY THE HAGUE 00000257 001.2 OF 002 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFED: Please handle accordingly ¶1. (SBU) Summary: As of 6 February, there has been no violence in the Netherlands in response to the controversial cartoons, though daily newspaper "De Volkskrant" received a bomb threat for having reprinted the Danish cartoons. The Prime Minister emphasized the primacy of law in resolving disputes peacefully in a democracy. Amsterdam's Mayor Cohen said the city's Muslim communities are restive and an ugly incident could easily occur. Amsterdam and Rotterdam officials will meet Muslim community leaders throughout the week. Muslim organizations are considering staging peaceful protests in the near future. One liberal Muslim organization called on Muslims to forgive the cartoonists and refrain from actions that would only damage the image of Islam. Muslim media contacts said rioting in Middle Eastern cities was not a surprise, but two found the magnitude "exaggerated." Many Muslim contacts were equally concerned about the anti-Semitic cartoons on the Arab European League website. End summary. ¶2. (U) In a statement on February 3, Premier Balkenende said he "regrets" the threats from Muslims over the Danish cartoons on the Prophet Mohammed. "Thankfully, we have freedom of speech here". "In our world, we step to court when someone crosses the line. It has no room for threats and people taking the role of judges." The PM added, "We must realize what these images and ideas can cause in others." ¶3. (SBU) Amma Asante, Amsterdam City Council member with particular responsibility for diversity issues and youth, said: "We haven't noticed anything related to the Danish cartoons. Probably the Muslims in Amsterdam will be hurt by the cartoons, but it has not led to any problems whatsoever. Dutch Muslims are rather liberal compared to other Muslims. The Muslims from Morocco are not to be compared with the Muslims from Saudi Arabia. That might be part of the reason we have not had any problems. We do have problems with our Muslim youth, but those children are not religious at all. Their frustrations are with their social and economic isolation, and with incidents of discrimination. Employers are not keen to hire them because they are afraid to employ them - afraid that they are violent and intolerant." ¶4. (SBU) Ton Smakman, District Coordinator for Youth, Amsterdam Police: "I am very worried, of course, because there has been a lot of publicity about these cartoons and the reaction in other countries, and I know they are busy with the subject on the Internet. So far I have not seen anything related to this here, no graffiti, no unrest. ¶5. (SBU) Adnan Tekin, Policy Adviser, Office of the Mayor in Amsterdam: "There were some people giving out flyers in Amsterdam on Saturday, condemning the cartoons but it was peaceful. This weekend I spoke to some people in my neighborhood; they were angry about the cartoons, specifically about the fact that they depict the Prophet as a terrorist. But I heard no suggestion of anyone wanting to react as they have done in Brussels or Paris. . Following the murder of Theo van Gogh there was quite some discussion about freedom of speech here in Amsterdam, and maybe this situation with the cartoons will generate continued discussion on that subject. This is not a new discussion for Amsterdam." ¶6. (SBU) U.S. Mission staff contacted Muslim contacts on February 6 to reiterate the USG's points about the cartoon controversy and to take the pulse of Dutch Muslim communities on the issue. Most discussions centered on where to draw the line on freedom of expression. "It's fine to have freedom of speech, but clever people should be able to estimate the impact of the cartoons will have," said one contact. "Reprinting the cartoons has nothing to do with solidarity. If you want to show solidarity, then come up with a new cartoon," noted another. ¶7. (SBU) Daily "De Volkskrant" reprinted the Danish cartoons months ago when the controversy first appeared, and again in its February 4th edition. The paper reported on February 4 that its offices received a bomb threat last week, so the paper has stepped up security. The Danish ambassador said on February 6 that neither she nor her embassy had received any threats but that police have put extra patrols around the Danish chancery and residence, which is located adjacent to the DCMR. ¶8. (SBU) Current affairs TV program "NOVA" on February 4 THE HAGUE 00000257 002.2 OF 002 interviewed Mr. Abu Jha Jha, chairman of the Arab European League (AEL),and Arab expert Ruud Jansen on the cartoons. AEL placed on its website anti-Semitic cartoons in the name of "freedom of expression." More moderate observers disagreed with that approach, and some questioned whether Abu Jha Jha is an appropriate spokesperson for the Muslim communities. Said one person: "Abu Jha Jha doesn't represent your average Dutch Muslim." ¶9. (SBU) One Muslim contact noted with alarm that on February 3 in the as-Soennah mosque in The Hague, the imam reportedly said in a sermon, "Insulting the beloved prophet is one million times worse than killing all the Jews in the world." Many contacts disagreed with the anti-Semitic cartoons placed on the AEL site, but differed on whether the suit filed by the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI) was the right response. One person thought it would escalate matters; another thought it the right response and that the courts should rule on the matter. ¶10. (SBU) ULAMON, the Union of Lahore Ahmadiyaa Muslim Organizations in the Netherlands, issued a statement calling on Muslims to show forgiveness, noting, "the cartoons could never be strong enough to weaken the beauty of Islam." It called on all Muslims to stop violent actions since they only damage the image of Islam. The group said that, instead, believers should make the cartoonists aware of their mistake and ask them to show more courtesy to others. The statement supported its assertion with verses from the Koran. ULAMON is a 60-year old association of four Muslim organizations who present Islam as a liberal, rational and tolerant faith. ¶11. (SBU) Amsterdam officials are scheduled to meet with Muslim community leaders on February 6. Rotterdam officials hope to do the same later this week. Amsterdam has the country's largest Muslim population, and Rotterdam the second. One contact said the Contact Group for Muslims and Government (CMO) has been meeting with counterparts in Denmark and Brussels to coordinate their responses. The CMO is considering plans for marches in Rotterdam or Amsterdam. The organization is waiting until 8 February to see what the government's response will be. BLAKEMAN