Muslims in Europe: - International Institute - University of Michigan

Media’s Reviews and publications produced by Muslims:
Several local and national Muslim organizations publish bulletins, mainly for their own members. Some of these are
in Dutch. An example is the quarterly Al-Fadjr of the Ahmadiyya (Lahore) Movement. An example of a bulletin
which has a somewhat wider circulation, and which can be found in some public libraries, is al Nisa, the bulletin of
the organisation of Dutch-speaking Muslim women. There are no periodicals about the Muslims. However, some
magazines and periodicals on migration regularly have articles on religion of immigrant communities, in particular
Islam:
Migrantenstudies (quarterly, mostly research reports of social scientists)
Contrast (weekly, news on migration issues)
Begrip Moslims-Christenen (two-monthly) reports about the Muslim-Christian dialogue, both in the Netherlands and
abroad
As for radio and TV broadcasting, The Netherlands’ Muslim Broadcasting has been television program of 30
minutes a week, and 90 radio, financed by the state. From 1st September 2000 the allotted time will be doubled.
Their programs aim at a large audience, both non-Muslim and Muslim. To accommodate the needs of different
ethnic groups, programs are in three languages: Turkish, Moroccan and Dutch.
Muslims Web Sites
The number of Muslim Web sites is growing rapidly, although many of them are short-lived. Useful portals are, at
the time of writing:
http://islam.pagina.nl
http://islam.boogolinks.nl
There are five Muslim MPs (3 Moroccans and 2 Turks). Their ethnic belongings play a role in the election
campaigns and they are within their parties the specialists on minority issues. Their religious background is not
stressed, however. A Muslim MP for the Christian Democrat party, who did try to get attention for religious
questions, was not re-elected in 1998. In the town councils, a variety of Muslims have been elected. Also here, their
religious background is not accentuated. There is no Islamic party and no political party has a program for or against
Islam.
Relations between the State and religious communities
In 1983, the formal ties between the State and the Religions were severed and a Law governing these ties was
abolished. Since then, the relations are based on the constitutional principles of freedom of religion and nondiscrimination
(which implies: equal treatment of various religious groups). No formal recognition of a religious
community is required. However, in some specific fields the state facilitates social or cultural activities of religious
communities: schools, broadcasting, and spiritual care in prisons and the army. Existing regulations and laws are
usually applied to Muslims and, if necessary, adapted to their needs.
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