Not that we feared that this would be the result of Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s tribulations, but the swiftness with which Mrs Rita Verdonk, the never elected but influential minister of Integration and Immigration has discounted 14 years of acquiescence to the Dutch way of life is legendary and without precedent.
Basically. Ms Ali has now been told, she was never a Dutch citizen, and hence, by inference she cannot continue to be a Member of Parliament.
Mrs Verdonk personally called her last night to deliver the message.
There are more than enough mitigating circumstances for Ms Ali’s Dutch citizenship to be revalidation in spite of her misdemeanours of 14 years ago.
She, like I have said before, is probably the most high profile integrated immigrant in the Netherlands besides the Princess Maxima who is Argentinean by birth but married to the Crown Prince Willem-Alexander.
It provides no encouragement for those of us who strive to begin appearing relevant in more ways than just paying rates and taxes in the Netherlands.
This is not to say that adherents of Islam would be shedding a tear nor would it bring the general ethnic communities unto the streets – however, it should bring the Dutch out in protest against unconscionable intolerance masquerading as enforcing the ministerial prerogative of the law. [1]
Basically, on this matter, Mrs Verdonk has been a shameless opportunist who has sacrificed the Dutch citizenship of a fellow countrywoman for the quest to appear tough in immigration with the hope that her Liberal Party would vote she in as leader.
I do sincerely hope that the Party does see through this charade of political expediency and deny her any opportunity to foist that on more that the already unfortunate few that have come under her gaze.
Seriously, that a minister who has never faced an electorate can invalidate the election of a representative of a Dutch constituency sets new precedent – we are in wildly uncharted waters.
Meanwhile, we can only wish Ms Ali good fortune in her new endeavour with the AEI as she considered her position in the Netherlands and the way irrational ministers are allowed to thrive in notoriety to the demolition of everything the Dutch hold dear.
I do not for once condone the fact that Ms Ali lied in her asylum application, but we have to see beyond the possibly, harangued and frightened 22-year-old who had escaped the throes of Africa for bright possibilities in Europe and how well she has done to account for her misdeeds.
A humanity that cannot forgo the illiberal for the tolerant and apply mercy in the face of obvious guilt cannot hope to rehabilitate who have fallen to a state of acceptance.
The figurehead for that view of humanity should likewise depart for wiser and more mature heads to facilitate fairness, justice and mercy in keeping with up with the civility of this age. This is just so, not Dutch, at all.
The Oddjob nickname comes from the James Bond film, Goldfinger where there Korean bodyguard called Oddjob uses his bowler hat with a shard steel rim as a Frisbee which could decapitate victims.
This got ascribed to Mrs Verdonk when she threw her hat in the ring to contest the leadership of the Liberal party. Hence, Lady Oddjob.
As it now transpires, Lady Oddjob has decapitated the Poster child of Dutch integration.
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