Our ridiculous fear of the rise of sharia.
The week's news at a glance.
Netherlands
Luuk KortekaasAlgemeen Dagblad
The Dutch are becoming hysterical, said Luuk Kortekaas in Amsterdam’s Algemeen Dagblad. Justice Minister Piet-Hein Donner made an offhand comment in an interview that if, someday, two-thirds of Dutch citizens ever voted to adopt the strict Islamic legal code known as sharia, then “the possibility of doing so should exist.” He was merely making a point about majority rule and changing norms. But parties across the political spectrum—and much of the press—went ballistic, as if he’d proposed that we start “stoning women in the streets.” Right-winger Geert Wilders even called a no-confidence vote against Donner. The minister survived it, though, and we can all calm down now. As leading scholars in the Netherlands point out, there is no such thing as a single body of sharia. The practices vary from country to country, and are often much less extreme than those advocated by Osama bin Laden. Here in the Netherlands, most Muslims come from the moderate Turkish and Moroccan traditions. And even if all of them suddenly converted to Saudi-style fundamentalism, the pro-sharia camp wouldn’t amount to more than 6 percent of the total. “Let’s show a little trust in democracy.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - October 12, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - male magnetism, denial in a deluge, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 conspiratorial cartoons about FEMA
Cartoons Artists take on paper towel politics, king-sized conspiracies, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Take an island-hopping trip around Brittany
The Week Recommends From neolithic monuments to colourful harbours, there is much to discover
By The Week UK Published