Majority Favors Separation of Religion and Politics

Muslims form the third largest religious community in the Netherlands. According to a recently published report, a clear majority endorses a separation of religion and politics. René Vautravers reports from Amsterdam

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the triumph of the right-wing populists in the 2002 elections, the image many of the Dutch have of their 900,000 Muslim fellow citizens has changed considerably.

Restricted knowledge of Islam

Muslims are often accused of being intolerant toward the Western way of life. At the same time, many of the people here have little real knowledge of Islam, as admitted recently by Integration Minister Verdonk.

Due to the diverse currents within present-day Islam and the wide national differences within the religious community, it is extremely difficult to get a coherent picture of the religion and its followers.

Interesting to note, however, is that the recently emerging trend toward secularization among Dutch natives – more than 40 percent do not describe themselves as being either Protestant or Catholic – can also be increasingly discerned in the Muslim population as well.

Decline in visits to the mosque

Although the network of Islamic organizations and institutions here is above average in size, including schools and youth and women's associations, only 1 percent of Dutch residents of Moroccan background and 7 percent of Turkish inhabitants are registered at one of the country's more than 300 mosques.

These were the findings of the recent study "Muslims in the Netherlands" conducted by the Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau (SCP) on behalf of the Hague parliament.

According to the report's authors, visits to mosques for example have declined considerably.

While in 1998 44 percent of all Turks living in the Netherlands visited a house of prayer, one year later the quota was only 35 percent.

Muslim schools are also losing ground. Only 23 percent of Moroccan children attended a Muslim school in 2002 in comparison to 38 percent in 1998.

Integration takes time

Discrepancies are particularly evident between first and second-generation Muslim immigrants. Older men, often unemployed in economic hard times and still not proficient in the Dutch language after years in the country, are the most loyal attendees at religious services, and by the same token the most conservative group.

It is hardly surprising, then, that Islam is becoming less and less important in the daily lives of young, well-educated and hence well-integrated Muslims.

This also goes for fasting during Ramadan. These observations coincide with those made by Jack Burger, professor of urbanism at Rotterdam's Erasmus University.

Burger believes that two generations are necessary before successful integration can be accomplished.

Religion is still an important identity factor

Nevertheless, the "Muslims in the Netherlands" study found that identification with their religion continues to be a major factor in the lives of many Moroccans and Turks.

Two thirds believe that religion is a personal matter, while the remaining third wish that religion would play a bigger role in public life.

An overwhelming majority, on the other hand, holds the view that religion and politics should remain clearly distinct from one another. Only a small share of the Muslims surveyed said they participated in religiously motivated political activities that disregard democratic rights and freedoms.

Danger of a negative spiral

A minority of young Muslims perceives society as hostile and discriminatory; this could give rise to a negative spiral leading to ethnic tensions, the authors warned.

But even within the religious community, there seems to be little consensus on issues such as the loss of faith, the choice of a spouse, and worship at the mosque.

Furthermore, identifying with Islam is perceived as entailing more binding consequences for women than for men.

The survey revealed that the present-day public discussion of Islam revolves around many of the issues that once were the focus of debate in other religions.

Among these the authors cite education, homosexuality, and the relationship between the sexes. On the basis of the survey the SCP predicts that the trend toward secularization and individualization of religious belief among Muslims in the Netherlands will continue to grow.

René Vautravers

Previously published in Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 27 July 2004