Dutch hope test will curb Muslim immigrants

[rainbow4321]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/redir.php?jid=77fd3263bd9579b7&cat=11caa946bf11fe44


AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- The Netherlands plans to make Third World people seeking residency pass a test to show they know the language and culture.

The exam will require 350 hours of study and cost $468, the Telegraph said Saturday.

A video, designed to capture Dutch life, will be sent to applicants' home countries and feature such activities as a homosexual wedding and topless women sunbathing.

The new policy is aimed at curbing the Netherlands' increasingly violent and growing number of Muslim immigrants, now about 6 percent of the nation's 16 million people.

[rodeodance]

1. rather clever is many respects

[KareBear]

2. I hope this doesn't sound too Freeperish

But I have to say if a country chooses not to let certain people in as a whole... the country should have a right to do that. I know that doesn't sound very liberal, but I guess in my eyes rights are rights, and a nation should have the freedom to determine its own course and citizenship. Now thats not to say that those 6% of the population of Muslims that are there can be mistreated once they are already there! :) The slippery slope is how do you keep your treasured values and not allow racism to rear its ugly head.

[fedsron2us]

4. It is a classic dilemma

How does an Open Society deal with groups who hold views that if implemented would destroy its existence ? Is it right to limit freedom of speech and freedom of religion when that privilege is used to preach hatred or incite acts of violence ? I think that the Dutch as a sovereign nation are perfectly entitled to set down minimum conditions that people should have to meet before they can settle in the country.

[hollowdweller]

3. Good idea. I worry about the US if the Islamic fundamentalists ever become

a larger segment of the population. If they stopped fighting with the Christians I could see all of them banding together politically with the Christian fundamentalisits and a lot of the conservative Catholic immigrants from Mexico and Latin America and passing some really regressive social laws.

[Bridget Burke]

5. That's not very likely.

The Fundamentalist Protestants hate the Catholics & hate the Muslims even more.

[DavidMS]

6. Step in the right direction... (possibly)

however most of the people coming are coming for economic reasons. Perhaps requiring them to be literate in Dutch or English would be a good start because it would simplify assimilation. Or requiring a specific degree of education obtained.

And a video showing topless sunbathers and a gay wedding won't make a significant difference. A difficult to pass test unless it covers the right areas to the right degree will not be anything but a barrier and does not perpair people to become productive citizens.

Immigration is a two way street its both provides an economic and social opportunities for migrants and an the advantage for the host country to poach talented hard working people. The immigrants and their children need to as rapidly as possible join the mainstream of society but also will change it by bringing their foods, religion, and culture. So by accepting immigrants a country inevitably changes itself.

[WetBarNone]

7. Where can one get this video?

"A video, designed to capture Dutch life, will be sent to applicants' home countries and feature such activities as a homosexual wedding and topless women sunbathing."

Get me an address and I'll "Dutch treat" you to a copy.

[franmarz]

8. Stopping the Muslim influx to Holland sounds good--but--

What if the Muslims then say, they wont ship any oil to the Netherlands if the draconian measures are not removed?
I would like to see the U.S. do something on that order, but our politics would never survive the effort, and our oil interests would not shoot themselves in the foot.