News in short

News in short


A quick review of news stories from the last couple of weeks that I haven't gotten around to translating and posting. 


Antwerp (Belgium)


* Mosques and Muslim politicians joined the effort to convince voters to vote against the Lange Wapper bridge.  50,000 brochures in Arabic and Turkish were given out in mosques and Muslim organizations.  Many Muslims originally supported the initiative before the PR offensive, thinking it will help employment.  The initiative was voted down by almost 60% of Antwerp residents. (NL)


* Arm in Arm, a project dealing with immigrant poverty, claims that Moroccan families in the program have to manage with 1,476.2 euro a month, which forces them to live in sub-standard conditions.  The organization says that the minimum benefits should be above the EU poverty line. (NL)


* The Al-Fath mosque in Antwerp is opening up the first imam school in Flanders.  According to the school they're looking for people who feel comfortable in Belgian society and are familiar with Western culture. (NL)


* Filip Dewinter of Vlaams Belang demands action from the Dutch gov't against a Dutch Muslim site which threatened to kill him if he doesn't apologize. (NL)



Netherlands

* Oosterhout - Three Moroccan youth published a letter on behalf of a group of about 30 denouncing the misconduct by fellow Moroccan youth.  Youssef Elhadjoui (24), spokesperson for the group, says that they feel the media is talking about them, and wanted to show their point of view.  They also feel the ban on gathering together in groups in the street is too extreme.  The three who wrote the letter are active in the community. (NL)


* Utrecht - a PHD study by Remco Feskens says that telephone surveys do not reach immigrants, and that scientific studies would get better results with a more personal approach. (NL)



Denmark

* Copenhagen - Ulrich Vogel, priest of the Tingbjerg parish, was chased away from his parish by threats and harassment of immigrant gangs.  The priest had gone into hiding.  There were rumors that the harassment was related to Vogel's homosexuality, a claim rejected by both Vogel and the police.  Vogel says that the district is run by a few youth who think might is right, and he feels that the harassment was simply malice.  Peter Skaarup of the Danish People's Party called the attacks a religious war.  The local bishop Peter Skov-Jakobsen, rejected the idea and said the district was suffering from social collapse, pointing out that schools and cars were also being attacked. (DA, DA, DA)

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