Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue

Box 4.2
Respect
Maria J.A. van der Hoeven
Maria J.A. van der Hoeven is <strong>the</strong> Minister of Economic Affairs for <strong>the</strong> Ne<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong>s. She has also served as
Minister of Education, Culture <strong>and</strong> Science.
In <strong>the</strong> Ne<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong>s, 15 November is celebrated as <strong>the</strong> Day of Respect. It is a day on which politicians, religious leaders
<strong>and</strong> business people visit schools to talk to young people about how we treat one ano<strong>the</strong>r; a day on which we consciously
consider respect as a value.
Iviewthisday,inallitssimplicity,asawonderfulexampleof<strong>the</strong>Muslim-<strong>West</strong>Dialogue.Asinsomany<strong>West</strong>ern<strong>and</strong>
o<strong>the</strong>r countries, <strong>the</strong>re are people living in <strong>the</strong> Ne<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong>s who have come from o<strong>the</strong>r countries <strong>and</strong> brought <strong>the</strong>ir own
cultures <strong>and</strong> characteristics. This all happens quite harmoniously in some cases, but it can also produce tensions <strong>and</strong>
uncertainties. That is <strong>the</strong> reality of a globalising world.
Do we solve everything by organizing a Day of Respect once a year? If only it was that simple! But respect certainly
is crucial. In my view, it is perhaps <strong>the</strong> most important value we have in our diverse society. Respect is accepting people
as <strong>the</strong>y are, irrespective of <strong>the</strong>ir religion, culture, gender or background.
Ihaverecentlybeennoticingthateveryonewantsrespect–insomecases<strong>the</strong>yevendem<strong>and</strong>it–butnoteveryoneis
prepared to show it to o<strong>the</strong>rs. That will not work. Respect has to come from both sides. Of course, respect does not
entail approving of everything everyone does. Unlawful behaviour is <strong>and</strong> remains simply unacceptable.
Respect <strong>and</strong> diversity belong toge<strong>the</strong>r. The Ne<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong>s has a long history of integration marked by people who came
to live in our country from all corners of <strong>the</strong> world <strong>and</strong> are now part of our society. Until a few years ago, <strong>the</strong> Ne<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong>s
was known as a tolerant country, in <strong>the</strong> sense that everyone was welcome <strong>and</strong> it was taken for granted that everyone
would retain <strong>the</strong>ir own language <strong>and</strong> culture.
My assessment is that we have taken this a bit too far. Our famous tolerance has degenerated into indifference. This
makes people feel excluded – sometimes literally because <strong>the</strong>y do not speak <strong>the</strong> language – so that <strong>the</strong>y retreat into
<strong>the</strong>ir own bastions <strong>and</strong> cultivate <strong>the</strong>ir own truths.
What that leads to can be read about in newspapers every day: unrest in our big cities, assembly bans for youths of
Moroccan descent, an increase in <strong>the</strong> sense of insecurity, changes in <strong>the</strong> political spectrum, <strong>and</strong> so on. It is underst<strong>and</strong>able –
but none<strong>the</strong>less sad – that <strong>the</strong> majority of well-intentioned Muslims are sometimes blamed for <strong>the</strong> deeds of a small
minority. In response to this stigmatization, certain groups – mostly youths – turn <strong>the</strong>ir backs on society <strong>and</strong> become
receptive to <strong>the</strong> ideas of fundamentalist leaders. This is a path we must reject.
To promote integration <strong>and</strong> mutual respect, we are :
• Teaching children about citizenship from a young age.
• Making experience in non-profit or voluntary organizations part of <strong>the</strong> curriculum so that young people learn what it
feels like to do something for o<strong>the</strong>r people altruistically.
• Putting efforts into identifying <strong>and</strong> dealing with at-risk young people.
• Investing in social cohesion initiatives in run-down areas.
• Incorporating language as a threshold for newcomers in The Ne<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong>s, as <strong>the</strong>re can be no dialogue without
communication.
This list is certainly not exhaustive. But it points to activities that can promote respect 364 days a year, leaving one
day to celebrate our successes.
<strong>Islam</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong>: <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> on <strong>the</strong> State of Dialogue Citizenship <strong>and</strong> Integration
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