Dutch Ambassador Boudewijn Johannes Van Eenennaam Netherlands Seeks Balance Between Freedom and Security by Larry Luxner As the worldís superpowers grapple with the issue of Islamic fundamentalism, even smaller nations are discovering they are not immune from the global war on terror. For the Netherlands, the issue has become one of the top policy dilemmas facing the peaceful and prosperous nation. Nearly 1 million Muslims live in Holland, constituting more than 5 percent of the populationóa statistic few Dutch people knew or cared very much about until Nov. 2, 2004. That was the day filmmaker Theo van Gogh was ambushed by an Islamic fanatic and gunned down as he rode his bicycle through the streets of Amsterdam. The alleged attackeróa second-generation Moroccan immigrantórepeatedly shot Van Gogh, slit his throat deep enough to sever the spinal column, and stuck two knives deep into his chest, one with a note proclaiming that the famous filmmaker had been murdered in the name of Islam. Such violence would hardly merit a headline in Iraq, but in the Netherlandsólong noted for its religious tolerance and open-door policy toward immigrantsóthe attacks have unleashed a wave of soul-searching among the countryís 16 million inhabitantsómuch of it a reflection of the larger immigration debate entangling many other European nations. ìThis was the act of an extremist, and the overwhelming majority of Muslims in the Netherlands and the Dutch population very strongly condemned this horrible deed,î says Boudewijn Johannes Van Eenennaam, the Dutch ambassador to the United States. ìThis could have happened in any other European country, so itís not a typically Dutch issue. Terrorism is a global problem. But even if it was the deed of an extremist, for us it was an enormous shock.î In the ensuing weeks and months, several Dutch mosques and churches burned down and police conducted numerous raids against presumed Islamic terrorist cells. In addition, a number of Dutch politicians continue to receive death threats, including Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk; Amsterdamís Jewish mayor, Job Cohen; and Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, one of the more provocative critics of radical Islam. The controversial politician not only advocates for the preemptive arrest of suspected terrorists whom he calls ìIslamo-fascist thugs,î Wilders is also seeking a five-year moratorium on all non-Western immigration, deportation for all illegal immigrants and failed asylum seekers, and all immigrants to have a working knowledge of Dutch before they arrive. Van Gogh, a great-great-grandnephew of the famous painter, had made a documentary condemning the treatment of women under Islam. His film ìSubmission,î shown on Dutch television, angered Muslim fundamentalists in much the same way that Salman Rushdieís 1988 novel, ìThe Satanic Verses,î earned him the enmity of hard-line Muslims worldwide and forced the British author to go into hiding. In fact, an online book of condolences for Van Gogh had to be closed down because it became filled with 5,000 messages of anti-Islamic abuse. Van Goghís murder also follows the assassination nearly three years ago of Pim Fortuyn, an openly gay Dutch legislator who had called for greater restrictions on immigrants, particularly those from Muslim countries. ìWe are faced once again with how to assure the security of our citizens in light of this new threat,î Eenennaam told The Washington Diplomat. ìThis latest murder was carried out in the name of Islam, so thereís a cultural issue. It also involves the issue of freedom of speech. This raises the question of rights and obligations. There are no rights without responsibilities, and this applies to all Dutch citizens, whether they were born in the Netherlands or come from elsewhere.î According to figures provided by the Dutch Embassy, the Netherlands has around 1.3 million immigrants, or just over 8 percent of the total population. These immigrants come predominantly from Turkey (300,000), Suriname (275,000), Morocco (250,000) and the Antilles (75,000). ìWhat it all boils down to is striking the right balance between freedom and security,î says the ambassador. ìWe have to find ways to be effective in our fight against terrorism, and at the same time guarantee our essential freedoms. We must be careful that we do not hamper our fundamental freedoms.î Eenennaam, who became ambassador in March 2004, previously served as director general (1997-2001) and deputy director general (1993-97) of political affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at The Hague. From 1990 to 1993, he was also director of the Atlantic Cooperation and Security Affairs Department at the ministry. In addition, he has served as political adviser to the Netherlands Permanent Mission to NATO in Brussels (1988-90) and as a counselor for political affairs here in Washington (1984-88). Eenennaam graduated from the University of Leiden with a law degree in 1973, and he regularly publishes articles on international security issues in newspapers and journals. In addition to representing Holland itself, he also speaks for the Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten) and the autonomous Caribbean island of Aruba. ìFreedom of expression is an absolute cornerstone of our society,î he says. ìItís not a problem as long as everyone agrees on what is being said. It only becomes relevant when that speech is provocative. So when does freedom of speech become too offensive? When does it present a clear and present danger?î In establishing those boundaries, Eenennaam says, ìwe must also determine how much foreign cultural input we are prepared to accept. Itís not a black-and-white situation, but a dynamic process where norms and values develop over time.î Deciding exactly where those limits should be, he adds, is not the responsibility of government, ìbut a matter for discussion within society, and if need be, in courtónever by way of violence. Disputes about the limits of freedom of speech can never be resolved by violence.î Thereís no question that Van Goghís murder sparked a wave of anger against Muslims. But Dutch Jews are also on edge these days. ìThere was and still is criticism that Europe is becoming more anti-Semitic,î says Eenennaam, conceding that even in Hollandófamous for giving refuge to Jews fleeing Nazi oppression during World War IIóthe painting of swastikas and desecration of Jewish gravestones is on the rise. It all seems to be related to an increasing suspicion of people who are simply different. Many Dutch citizens feel their small country is being overwhelmed by immigrants who either cannot or will not adapt to Dutch society. Holland contends with a flood of asylum-seekers attracted to the countryís relative prosperity and lax immigration laws. In a controversial approach to the problem, Dutch officials have begun to offer families whose asylum requests are denied the equivalent of $7,200 if they agree to leave the country immediately. ìIt is a modest amount of money by our standards, but it could really give them a helping hand back in their own countries,î says Jan Peek, police and justice counselor at the Dutch Embassy. ìDeportation is usually a very harsh way of repatriating these people, so we want to treat them in the most humane way possible.î ìBecause of our geographical position, weíve always been open to immigrants, maybe more so than other European countries,î says the ambassador. ìBut itís also because of our national character. The Netherlands is a seafaring country, a commercial countryóoutward-looking rather than continentalóso weíve always been in touch with other civilizations. ìBut in the past, we focused heavily on work, work, work to promote the integration of immigrants into Dutch society. This was when we had economic growth. Now we may have to intensify our cultural dialogue.î However, he says immigrants themselves bear a major responsibility for making the successful transition into Dutch society. ìIslam in Holland has to conform itself to our laws and standards,î Eenennaam told The Diplomat. ìAt the same time, Dutch society should open itself up to the values and cultures outside. Muslims can experience Islam to the full extent in their own countries, but when itís transplanted into our society, Iím afraid they will have to adapt to our rules and values.î The ambassador adds: ìIf one has no self-respectólike the people who come from other cultures to the Netherlands and are not prepared to adapt to our societyóyou cannot expect them to have respect for someone else. At the same time, they will never be able to gain respect from others. Theyíre isolated and becoming more extremist. Theyíre trying to split Muslims from non-Muslims, and that is th e sort of danger which we have to address.î In so doing, the Dutch government has stepped up its counterterrorism efforts in coordination with the European Union. The EUís counterterrorism czar happens to be a Dutch citizen, Gijs de Vries, who maintains very close ties with his counterparts in the U.S. government, specifically the Department of Homeland Security. ìI would not compare the murder of Mr. Van Gogh to 9/11, but itís clear the suspect had ties with other terrorist cells, so I think the awareness of those risks has clearly increased,î says Eenennaam. Dutch officials, he says, are being more aggressive and more intrusive in their efforts to catch terrorists, noting that ìlots of measures are being taken in terms of giving officials more authority in going after suspects.î These include requiring all citizens more than 13 years of age to carry identity cards, authorizing police to stop and search people with no apparent cause, a relaxation of rules on wiretapping and monitoring Internet traffic, and tripling the amount of time suspects can be held without charge from three days to 10 days. In addition, Eenennaam says, ìWe have a very sophisticated system in which we are scanning containers in Rotterdam on their way to the United States. Also at Schiphol Airport, we have U.S. Customs officials checking passengers before they take off for the United States.î At the same time, Holland has allied itself with the Bush administration with regard to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Around 1,350 Dutch soldiers are currently stationed in Iraq, mostly in the southwest region of Al-Muthanna. This month, the Dutch will begin to wrap up its mission, although the country will remain a participant in the broader coalition efforts and will now contribute to the training of Iraqi security forces on a national level. Since June 2003, more than 6,000 Dutch troops have served in Iraq, and since March 2003, the Netherlandsówhich spends 0.8 percent of its gross domestic product on foreign aidóhas distributed more than 30 million euro in Iraqi humanitarian and reconstruction assistance. ìWe have always been strong allies of the United States,î says Eenennaam, ìthough Iíd make a distinction between anti-Americanism and opposition to the Bush administration. A large part of the Dutch population is critical of the policies of the Bush administration, but at the same time they are very fond of the United States.î Another area where Islam overshadows Dutch foreign policy is Turkeyís proposed membership into the European Union. ìThe issue of Turkey is complicated and has many aspects, starting with the fact they have 70 million people. If negotiations start in 2005, it will take many years before they really become a member of the EU. By then, theyíll be even bigger. This will shift the balance of power within the EU. Undeniably, Islam is playing a role [in this issue]. But then the question is, do you want to keep them out, or do you want them in?î Larry Luxner is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.