Health Min. calls Dutch to "rise up" against radical Islam

Minster Edith Schippers of Public Health wants the Dutch to "rise up" against Islamic radicalism and to protect the Dutch culture, which she finds "much better" than other cultures, she said at the Hendrik Jan Schoo speech in Amsterdam on Monday. She thinks a freedom coalition should be formed against Islam, ANP reports. "It is time that we - all Dutch people who love our culture, our freedoms our social contract - stand up to actively defend our achievements", Schippers said. She finds it important that the Dutch don't take too much from other cultures. As an example citing the refusal of some Muslims to shake hands. She thinks it a bad thing that people think this should be tolerated because it is part of certain cultures and all cultures should be tolerated. "I think that a terrible mistake", she said. "Frits Bolestein said it in the 90's already. And I will repeat it. Our culture is much better than any other I know. At least for women. At east for the gay or transsexual. At least for people who do not belong to the group in power. For people who do not follow the dominant religion." The VVD Minister wants to put a stop to money from countries like Saudi Arabia and Turkey being "pumped into Koran schools and mosques to spread these hostile thoughts", she said. She notices "an insidious growing intolerance" and "increasing self censorship" in the Netherlands, citing schools reluctance to talk about the Holocaust and gay teachers who keep their sexuality secret as examples. Other cultures coming to the Netherlands could "certainly enrich society". But the Dutch must make sure that we do not lose our freedoms and values, she said.