Dispatch from the Eurabian Front

[Harold F. Schiffman]

>>From the Canada Free Press:

Dispatch from the Eurabian Front: Brussels, Berlin, Rotterdam

Germany

In Germany this week the Union of Teachers voted to introduce the language
policy of six Berlin secondary schools on a national level. The schools
oblige all children to speak only German during school hours, including on
the playground. According to some politicians and immigrant groups this is
discrimination and a violation of the constitution. Children should not be
forbidden from talking in their mother tongue, said Eren nsal,
spokesperson of the Turkish League. Many immigrant parents, however, seem
to have a different opinion. The first school to introduce the German only
rule was the Herbert-Hoover-Realschule. Since the school introduced the
rule one year ago the number of enrollments has risen significantly.

Maria Bhmer, the German Secretary of State for Migration, Refugees and
Integration, told Die Welt yesterday that she encourages schools to adopt
the same rule. The Christian-Democrat politician said she is in favour of
offensive integration policies in which taboos will not be tolerated. Ms
Bhmer said it would be a misconception of tolerance if there was no
insistence on the knowledge of German. The aim is that those who want to
live here can participate fully in our society. Language is the key to
this. This is exactly the reason why many Turkish parents find this
school attractive.

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands the City Council of Rotterdam announced last week that
it wants immigrants to speak Dutch on the streets. It is also asking them
to raise their children predominantly in Dutch. The demand is formulated
in a so-called Rotterdam code that was presented last Thursday. The City
Council requests all Rotterdammers to adhere to the seven principles in
the code, which also include respect for women, homosexuals and people who
do not believe in God.

Last Saturday Rita Verdonk, the Dutch minister of Integration, told party
members at a convention of her Liberal Party that she wants to write a
similar code for the whole country. It is very important that one speaks
Dutch in the streets, Ms Verdonk said. Many people send me e-mails to say
that they do not feel at ease in the streets. I want rules of conduct
about what we, the Dutch, feel is important. The French leftist newspaper
Le Monde claims that Ms Verdonk is the most hated politician in Holland,
which according to Theodore Dalrymple, an able translater of Le
Monde-speak, means that she is by far the most popular politician in the
country.

In neighbouring Belgium Chokri Mahassine, a Socialist member of the
Flemish regional parliament, opposed the introduction of a similar
language rule in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of the country. This is
too idiotic for words. Pure nonsense, he said about Verdonk's proposal.
The Netherlands have developed from a dictatorship of tolerance to a
dictatorship of intolerance. This is an unworthy proposal for a democracy.
It is nobodys business what language I speak in the street.

An internet poll of the Flemish popular newspaper Het Nieuwsblad today
shows that 59.88% of the readers feel that the authorities should compel
immigrants to speak Dutch in the streets. A similar poll in the quality
newspaper De Standaard shows that 55.10% of the readers at times feel
uneasy when immigrants use their own language in public.

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/brussels012706.htm