Press Release
Van der Laan Emphasizes the Anti-Islam Policy
(Translated)

At the beginning of this month, the Dutch Arjan Foundation for Youth called for a debate between Yassin Al Furgani and me about the issue of jihad and extremism. However, this debate was canceled after the severe advices (orders) of the Mayer of Amsterdam, Eberhard Van der Laan for the mentioned Foundation to cancel such debate. We did not wish to comment on the cancellation decision, for that requires no comment or statement. As the cancellation of a debate between Al Furghani and a representative of Hizb ut Tahrir; the party known universally as a political party that does not support violence, does not call for it, and does not work against the Dutch state. This arbitrary decision expresses more about the politics pursued by the Dutch government against Islam and Muslims in this country, which emphasizes the truth of our campaign that we launched under the name "Together Against Anti-Islam Policy."  But things did not stop at this point; as in today's City Council's meeting, the Mayor of Amsterdam disclosed the real reason which pushed him to cancel the debate, saying: "He will not give this party any chance of attracting the Moroccan youth to Jihad."

I would like to remind the Mayor that the source of such misconceptions about the party is the unjust corrupt regimes that previously tried to link us to terrorism directly and indirectly, and failed in that and they could not provide even one proof of this. The question that arises now is not whether we encourage young people for terrorism or not, as the answer to this question is known to everyone, the distant and the near. But the question worth answering is: why the Mayor chose the method of lying and discrediting others? Or does the Mayor has a problem with our campaign: "Together Against Anti-Islam Policy" that we have announced? And why instead of him responding to the arguments that we made, he rated us a dangerous party that calls for terrorism without providing any proof of that?

It should be noted that after we began our campaign, numerous invitations were sent to us to discuss the procedures taken by the Dutch government about jihadists, which in fact they were not against those whom they called jihadists, but were aimed at restricting the Muslim community in this country and regard it as a hotbed of extremism and terrorism. The discussions and debates followed the same course of our campaign, where we wanted to show the public opinion the reality of these arbitrary procedures against Muslims. Moreover, we wanted to make them the dialogue point among the people, especially the Muslim community. This is because we believe that the Muslim community must be aware of these unjust actions that will affect every Muslim, and that it should not remain silent about them and must stand up in their face.

Nonetheless, we were aware and acquainted that the authorities would not tolerate us. And this is not surprising, because the content of those procedures falls in the anti-Islam policy pursued by the government.

Therefore it is only natural when they apply them to silence the voices and terrorize those who object to these procedures. Since the West, which promotes the freedom of opinion and freedom of expression refuses to hear any criticism of its arbitrary policies against Muslims. And it has been the results of these procedures to consider any activity of the Muslim community against them as a call to violence. This is with the exception of the reactions by very few Muslims, who work with the government and in favor of the government, trying to appear as if they criticize these procedures, but at the same time, they are promoting a new version of the secular moderate Islam that is acceptable by the Dutch political center.

In conclusion, we say: We are not those who close the doors of dialogue and debate, and we are not those who follow the methods of deception and illegal methods to silence the opinions of others, but the Mayor is the one who does that and works on the implementation of the new policy against Islam.

Okay Pala
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir
in the Netherlands