Thursday, 28 March 2024 16:18

Debate: Moroccans in the Netherlands

Tuesday, 17 February 2015

Moroccans in the Netherlands is a very special meeting as stated by Mr. Abdelmjid Kaddouri, a Moroccan historian because it includes both a Dutchman in the person of Leon Buskens, professor at the University of Leiden (Netherlands) and Osama Cherribi, Moroccan sociology professor who lived in the Netherlands and is now living in the US.

Both are there to testify of today’s Holland, its relationship with immigration, Islam and the challenges this poses for the Moroccan community living there.

In his speech, Leon Buskens stops on the various terms used to name the Moroccan community "Moroccans in the Netherlands", "Moroccan Dutch", etc.

Although these terms have different connotations, they do not necessarily indicate identity claims of this community but rather the great shared history between the two fronts, and we must take a step back to enjoy this shared history, often neglected nowadays

As for Osama Cherribi he already states that the Netherlands have gone from being "a country of tolerance to an Islamophobic country taking a Moroccan face"

He discusses the reasons of this transition and says that the problem of Islam came with the first Muslim communities who have settled in the Netherlands, living confined in their values and traditions and they couldn’t adapt to globalization and the values of Western society

He condemns the coercion of society that stigmatizes, some imams and managers of the sacred who, instead of thinking of an open and liberated Islam, hold terrorizing discourse and some politicians who are openly xenophobic

"It's anachronism!" Says firmly M.Cherribi before adding" Instead of seeking citizens in the Muslim, the Muslim is sought in citizens»

Far from painting a completely black picture of the situation, M.Cherribi celebrates the achievements and accomplishments of the Moroccan community in the Netherlands who still gave birth to "mayors, politicians and talents in various fields"

Mr. Leon Buskens goes on the same line and believes Moroccans are fairly well integrated into Dutch society

"It is rather a conflict with people who do not like to coexist with others and turn immigration into their scapegoat"

Note that this debate was organized under the CCME activities, taking part for the seventh consecutive time in the Casablanca Book and publishing fair.

Google+ Google+