Utrecht Mayor against speech by Australian radical Islamist Mohamed Hoblos; Won’t ban him

Utrecht Mayor Sharon Dijksma said she is opposed to the arrival of Australian radical Islam preacher Mohamed Hoblos in her city, she said on Thursday. "I believe that if someone makes such extreme statements, he should not be given a platform in Utrecht. In our city there is always room for dialogue and expression, but not for calls for violence and hate speech. We are in contact with the Jaarbeurs and the security services about the meeting and its intent."

Earlier Thursday, the Tweede Kamer said it was very concerned about the possible arrival of Hoblos in the Netherlands this weekend. The Islamic preacher wants accept an invitation from the Dawah Group Foundation to speak during a visit to the Jaarbeurs convention center, the Telegraaf reported earlier on Thursday.

Several political parties, including ChristenUnie, SGP, BBB, VVD and CDA, said they are concerned that he will deliver a speech marked by extremist statements "that undermine the legal democratic order and could be a threat to public order and security.” They shared this earlier Thursday in questions to caretaker Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz and State Secretary Eric van der Burg, who handles immigration policy for the Cabinet. They are pushing for the two Cabinet members to ban Hoblos from entering the Netherlands.

The factions also want to know whether the Netherlands has the option to impose an entry ban on Hoblos and if not, why not. They also wondered whether other European Union member states have banned him, or plan to do so.

They also want the ministers to indicate whether there are other options to prevent the Islamic preacher from speaking in Utrecht, such as with a municipal ban preventing him from entering a specific area. They also believe that "an urgent appeal" could be made to the Jaarbeurs.

According to a spokesperson for Dijksma, it is not up to the municipality to deny him access to the Jaarbeurs. But the municipality is in discussions with the Jaarbeurs "to decide how to proceed.”

The Telegraaf reported about Hoblos, calling him someone who preaches with hatred and in radical statements. He holds a position that anyone who condemns Hamas is a traitor and an enemy.

ChristenUnie faction leader Mirjam Bikker said,"The door must be closed to hate mongers. If you come from the other side of the world to spew hatred here and incite people against Dutch society, then you have no business here. That is why there must be an entry ban."

It is not yet clear whether Hoblos has an Australian passport, in which case he would not likely have been required to apply for an entry visa. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) and the Ministry of Justice and Security would not comment when asked about it because they never comment on individual cases, spokespersons said.

The parties which wrote the joint letter to the Cabinet members also pointed to a motion by the SGP that the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament, adopted in December. It calls on the Cabinet to advocate a visa ban for supporters and sympathizers of Hamas in a European context. They also emphasize that the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security, NCTV, recently strengthened its approach to ban extremist speakers, regardless of ideological background.