Amsterdam’s worrisome anti-gay hate crime rates are sparking an equally worrisome study:
Mayor Job Cohen commissioned the University of Amsterdam to conduct a study on the motives behind the hate crimes. Half of the crimes were committed by men of Moroccan origin and researchers believe they felt stigmatized by society and responded by attacking people they felt were lower on the social ladder. Another working theory is that the attackers may be struggling with their own sexual identity.
While we’re all about Amsterdam trying to curb anti-queer attacks, this study seems a bit short sighted. Wouldn’t it be better to educate people, rather than rationalize their actions into objectivity?
Charley
Yes, education is the answer, but faces a huge dilemna because of religion. The clash between Dutch liberalism and Islamic conservatism led to the rise of Pym Fortuyn, the populist homosexual anti-immigration campaigner, who was outraged that gay teachers were being sacked because Muslim parents did not want their children to be taught by homosexuals. He was murdered by a left-wing activist.
Charley
Yes, he was considered right wing in Amsterdam. Not the same as right wing in the U.S.A. He definately was not a Catholic crazy cocksucker like Andrew Sullivan. He was not religious and gay sex and same sex marriage was encouraged by him. It was about taxes, economic European issues ect.
Rt. Rev. Dr. RES
Depending upon whose statistic you accept, the reality of the first Dutch marriage in 2001, or the legal retroactivity of the Canadian marriage, the Kingdom of the Nederland is important to our history.
Despite a sizeable Roman and Old Catholic Utrecht reality, the Royal House and the majority are Calvinists. Also, until 1949, the Dutch East Indies now Indonesia, brought many Muslim Dutch subjects into the mix. Today, several generation of Dutch Muslims have been born and raised in the Nederland.
This problem is a micro study of cultural and religious extremism at odds with the majority culture…and this one is gay affirming.
WillieHewes
Education is important, but for it to be effective you need to know what’s going wrong. What information are people missing that they need to be educated in? That’s what the study is about.
And yes, there is a general problem of intercultural/interracial tension underlying this issue.