New Quran burning coming in Arnhem

[pieter]

Omroep Gelderland (lit. 'Gelderland Broadcasting'; abbreviated Omroep GLD) is the regional public broadcaster for the Dutch province of Gelderland. Omroep Gelderland has its own radio station, Radio Gelderland, and television channel, TV Gelderland, broadcasting primarily for the province itself. Omroep Gelderland is not Pieters broadcast organisation. My broadcast cooperations is RTV Connect. Omroep Gelderland is a colleage broadcast cooperation. We collaborate with them.

New Quran burning coming in Arnhem



ARNHEM - Pegida leader Edwin Wagensveld is coming to Arnhem again to burn a Koran. He has registered his demonstration with the municipality for Saturday, March 23. That day he wants to go to Jansplein again, the place where his previous attempt got out of hand due to rioting counter-demonstrators.
Mayor Ahmed Marcouch says that he will approach this demonstration like any other. This means that he will check whether there is no danger to health, whether it does not lead to traffic problems and whether public safety is not jeopardized, as the law expects of a mayor. A mayor may not interfere with the content of the demonstration.
'No reason to ban this'
According to Marcouch, the course of the previous demonstration is therefore not a reason in itself to ban it. "What we saw there will of course be taken into account, but we look at the current information."


On Saturday, January 13, Pegida leader Edwin Wagensveld wanted to burn a Koran on Jansplein in Arnhem. He did this in response to the municipality's decision to, among other things, from now on allow headscarves on boas.

Counter-demonstrators from the Muslim community gathered on the same square. After an outbreak of violence in which both Wagensveld and several police officers were injured, the demonstration was called off.

As mayor, Marcouch is obliged to facilitate a demonstration like this. "So I have nothing to allow," he makes clear. "I have to have good arguments to ban it. For example, if the police with all their people are not able to protect the demonstration. But that is always based on factual information."
Wagensveld notes that he registered his demonstration well in advance. "The municipality therefore has sufficient time to prepare."
'There is another place to talk about'
The Pegida leader hopes that the city council will contact him to enter into consultations. "Let's see together where the Quran burning can best be facilitated. There is always room for discussion about another place. As long as it is not on an industrial estate somewhere."
If it were up to Wagensveld, such a location would be sought so that it could be cordoned off and there would be sufficient police available. "And perhaps the counter-demonstration should not be held on the condition that we can see and hear each other."

Not looking for an explosion of violence

Wagensveld says he is not looking for a new explosion of violence. "But I will not allow my right to demonstrate to be taken away either."
According to Wagensveld, he is not concerned with burning the holy book itself. "I'm concerned about the reactions. The gist is that you see that at all demonstrations against Islam, there are violent attacks from the Muslim community."
'Larger group will unite'
Mosque chairman Mustafa Akpinar previously informed Omroep Gelderland that, in his opinion, safety can never be guaranteed during a new Quran burning. "Then an even larger group of opponents will unite. Especially after the international attention this has received. That will be a chain reaction."

Comment Pieter: The Moroccan Dutch Mayor Ahmed Marcouch, Muslim himself, got a lot of anger of the Muslim community. The Muslim community of Arnhem doesn't understand and accept his position in this case. Ahmed Marcouch is between 2 fires. Some native Dutch Arnhem people distrust him as a Berber (not Arab) Moroccan Muslim Labour Mayor and the Muslims see him as being to tough on Radical Islam. Marcouch is a former Amsterdam police officer, former Labour member of the Dutch House of Representatives (the parliament, Tweede Kamer), and is very tough on crime, I Pieter, think he is a good and serious mayor, but doubt his position on 'the Quaran burning' by PEGIDA Netherlands leader Edwin Wagensveld, in the name of 'Freedom of Expression'. This is very dangerous for the Peace in Arnhem and for Dutch embassies, consulates and expats in Muslim countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and other Muslim countries. First from the ethical and moral and human point of view this Quran burning is a sign of intolerance, xenophobia and Islamophobia and secondly this Quran burning is a huge safety risk for Dutch expats in the world. Personally, I Pieter am completely against this Quran burning, and think that is should be prohibited.

[karl]

Pieter

My self also am in complete agreement with you, for freedom of expression is one thing, but the burning of religious books is not correct. But then, to be in fear of reprisal from some Muslims for these actions is a recipe for further reverse reprisal from non-Muslims and so it goes on and on. Whilst on the other side of the Roman coin, if the Muslims were smart which is not apparent, would be to provide public explanations of their religion as an educational lesson as a public service.

karl

[pieter]

De Gelderlander

De Gelderlander (founded 1848) is a Dutch daily newspaper focused on the Dutch Province Gelderland and immediate surroundings. It is published in Nijmegen by the Belgian Persgroep, the largest media organization in the Netherlands (Press Group: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DPG_Media ) .

De Gelderlander evolved in 1848 from the Nijmegen biweekly newspaper De Batavier, published from 1843 to 1845.


Wednesday, 24, Januari 2024. The Arnhem Mayor Ahmed Marcouch in the Arnhem city council yesterday evening. I (Pieter) was there. It was a tense evening with a lot of Police presence inside and outside the building. You see the Police officer in the audience left in the back on the photo. Nexty to the mayor you see from left to right the alderman Bob Roelofs (local Party Arnhem Central), alderwoman Nermina Kundić (Bosnian Muslim, of the Leftwing social liberal -centre left to Centrist-D66 party -my Political party-), and alderwoman Cathelijne Bouwkamp (of the Leftwing GreenLeft political party, which on the national level forms the party coalition with the Labour Party -GreenLeft/Labour party-). Mayor Marcouch is of Dutch Moroccan Berber (North African) migrant origin and is from the Dutch Labour Party, he is a former Police officer from Amsterdam, former Amsterdam councillor and former Labour member of the House of Representatives (The Dutch parliament). Marcouch is a Muslim and an excellent, serious and responsible mayor of Arnhem.

Marcouch hopes to see the Pegida man 'never again as a Koran burner' through the law, and he wants to work hard for that in The Hague

A nationwide ban on the burning of holy books. Arnhem mayor Ahmed Marcouch wants to personally push for this in The Hague. According to him, it would be nice if the law made it possible for 'Pegida man' Edwin Wagensveld to 'never be seen again as a Koran burner' in Arnhem.

Lars Barendregt 24-01-24, 21:53 Last update: 00:05

"I will immediately say that we have a bigger task," Marcouch said on Wednesday evening during an emergency debate of the Arnhem city council. It was about the recently derailed attempt to burn a Koran in the city center.

"Because the increase in toxic polarization is worrying and disrupts our society and democracy. It requires a civil debate in which we share views and opinions with respect.”

The debate followed shortly after Wagensveld, leader of the extreme right-wing group Pegida, indicated that he wanted to return to the Gelderland capital at the end of March. For another attempt to set a Koran on fire.

Marcouch knows that the law has not yet changed. The Arnhem branch of Denk, initiator of the emergency debate, submitted several proposals to put a stop to a subsequent action such as that of Wagensveld at a local level. But Marcouch thinks it is really a national matter.

Tension

Tension built up early Wednesday evening at City Hall. Several officers were walking around outside. There were several hundred interested people inside, including many from Arnhem's Muslim community.

People wanted to hear what local politicians and Mayor Marcouch had to say about the attempted Quran burning, which got completely out of hand about a week and a half ago.

The interest in the debate was so great that most were unable to enter the council chamber. They had to watch on large screens in other rooms. Their applause after agreeable statements could be clearly heard in the council chamber.


Interested parties watch the emergency debate at Arnhem town hall on a large screen. © Gerard Burgers

Warnings

Denk wanted to know why Marcouch caused riots on Saturday, January 13, with arrests and injuries. According to party leader Yildirim Usta, the mayor could have called off the Quran burning at several times in the interest of public order. For example, when many counter-demonstrators gathered in the center around noon.

Marcouch responded that a demonstration can only be prohibited in advance in the event of force majeure. "So if I cannot guarantee safety around the demonstration even when maximum police capacity is deployed."

He repeated once again that, based on professional police information, he only concluded after a second failed attempt by Wagensveld that a safe demonstration was no longer possible. Marcouch received support from other parties for his actions.

Denk (political party) receives criticism

The leftwing Populist migrant party Denk also faced criticism. PVV member Coen Verheij asked why members of the faction called to come to the demonstration and suggested that they bring rotten eggs. Usta replied that he did not recognize himself in these words.

In the run-up to the debate, Islamic organizations in Arnhem already advocated a ban on the burning of holy books such as the Koran. Marcouch is now meeting them with his proposal to commit himself to such a ban.


Protesting members of the Arnhem Muslim community in the Arnhem City council. The protest banner of the beautiful Muslim lady reads; "I think you mainly have unsafe politics, Loesje"

Source and explentation: This article was translated from Dutch to English by Pieter. The original source is this one in Dutch: www.gelderlander.nl/arnhem/marcouch-hoopt-pegida-man-via-wet-nooit-meer-als-koranverbrander-terug-te-zien-en-daar-wil-hij-zich-in-den-haag-hard-voor-maken~af9cdf42/

[pieter]

Gelderland, is a province of the Netherlands, occupying the centre-east of the country. With a total area of 5,136 km2 (1,983 sq mi) of which 173 km2 (67 sq mi) is water, it is the largest province of the Netherlands by land area, and second by total area. Gelderland shares borders with six other provinces (Flevoland, Limburg, North Brabant, Overijssel, South Holland and Utrecht) and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The capital is Arnhem (pop. 159,265); however, Nijmegen (pop. 176,731) and Apeldoorn (pop. 162,445) are both larger municipalities. Other major regional centres in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Harderwijk, Tiel, Wageningen, Zevenaar, and Winterswijk. Gelderland had a population of 2,084,478 as of November 2019. It contains the Netherlands's largest forest region (the Veluwe), the Rhine and other major rivers, and a significant amount of orchards in the south (Betuwe).

Gelderland is the Province where I (Pieter) work and live. In my spare time I often go to my family in Zeeland and friends and family in Amsterdam (North Holland).


The map of the Zeeland Province where my family lives in the cities Vlissingen and Middelburg. I travel thousands of miles every year by car (Ford Fiesta) to Vlissingen/Middelburg and back to Arnhem.


The Province of North Holland where Amsterdam lies and were my best friends Ernst and Marinus live and my cousin Kees and his husband Jan


Other family members live in the Province South Holland in the town of Schoonhoven and the city of Rotterdam

Folks half of my family lives abroad in South-Africa, the USA, Poland, Denmark, Belgium and France.

[pieter]

My Province Gelderland in the centre-east of the country. The city I live in is the capital Arnhem. You could compare a Dutch province with a German Bundesland like Hessen or North Rhine-Westphalia, or an American state like Massachusetts or Idaho.



You see Hilversum on the left on the map above here, to the South East of Amsterdam. Hilversum is a city and municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. Located in the heart of the Gooi, it is the largest urban centre in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes and smaller towns. Hilversum is part of the Randstad, one of the largest conurbations in Europe, and the Amsterdam metropolitan area; it is about 22 km southeast of Amsterdam's city centre and about 15 km north of Utrecht.

Media Park is a large business park in the Dutch city of Hilversum. This site is home to a number of Dutch broadcasters and media companies, and is the headquarters of the national public broadcasting system NPO. Non-public (commercial) broadcasters such as RTL Nederland (Netherlands) and the production companies Endemol and NEP The Netherlands (NEP stands for North East Pennsylvania, until 1 januari 2016 DutchView) also have studios and offices located on the Media Park site. The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision is also situated on the site.



The city is home to the headquarters, studios and broadcast stations of several major radio, television and newspaper companies such as Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS; Dutch Broadcast Corporation). Hilversum is thus known for being the mediastad (media city) of the Netherlands.

[karl]

Pieter

Yourself must be commended for your excellent efforts with your presentation and very interesting comments. Not to say of least, your description of your very international family. Your description of the city of your home in the province of Gelderland was excellent with inclusion of maps of locations. My self was to find your presentation as both educational and interesting.

Karl