Much can be said about the characteristics of this debate, its causes and the actual and perceived robbers underlying it. In any case, we note that the debate concerning Muslims is often based on perceptions which have little or no connection with reality, that is to say, with the actual lives and social situations of Muslims in the Netherlands. In our view, public debate is of crucial importance in a democratic state based on the rule of law. But to ensure that such debate remains constructive, it is important that the facts be given a fair chance.
The first fact book on the position of Muslims in the Netherlands was published in 2008. New information and research published in the meantime Justify an update. This publication not only includes more recent figures on a number of topics, it also adds several new topics and provides a classification according to themes, which should make it easier to find the information. The aim of this fact book is to present information on Muslims in the Netherlands. With the exception of several (also recent) publications, no research is being conducted into Muslims in the Netherlands.
However information is gathered and published regularly about ethnic groups, in particular the four largest of these, which include Turks and Moroccan. Because the great majority of Turks and Moroccan adheres to he Islamic faith (87% and 92% respectively), the information in this fact book tends to concentrate on these groups. Muslims are also represented in other ethnic and national groups, such as Iraqis, Afghans, Iranians and Somalis. But these groups are rarely the subjects of research and surveys, so they are largely and inevitably ignored here.
It is bordered by the North Sea in the north and west, by Germany in the east and by Belgium in the south. Amsterdam is the capital, and The Hogue the seat of the government. The Netherlands is divided into 12 provinces. The Netherlands, the Dutch Antilles and Aruba collectively form the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Figure 1 . 1: Map of the Netherlands Source: Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs History In 1581, the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands declared independence from Spain.
During the 17th century, the Republic experienced a Golden Age in terms of its economic and cultural achievements.The Netherlands became an international trading nation and the centre of world trade. Following twenty years of French occupation, in 181 5 the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed. During the First World War, the Netherlands remained neutral.
During the Second World War, the Netherlands was occupied by the Germans for five years. Today, the Netherlands is an open and affluent country with strong international ties. The Netherlands was one of the founders of NATO and the European Economic Community (SEC), the forerunner of the European Union (ELI).In 2002, the Euro was introduced as the currency of the Netherlands, replacing the guilder.
Population The Netherlands has a population of 16,485,787 (2009). The population density of 396. 8 inhabitants per square kilometer (2009) is one of the highest in the world. Compared with the rest of Europe, the Dutch population has increased rapidly: 3 million in 1850, 5 million in 1900, 10 million in 1950 and 16 million in 2000. Economy The Netherlands is an affluent country with an open economy and a reliance on international trade.
The economy is characterized by stable relations, moderate inflation and cautious financial policies, and by its role as a major transport hub for the rest of Europe. The main economic activities are agriculture, food, drink and tobacco industry, chemicals industry and financial services. 7 Government The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The cabinet forms the executive branch of government and is formed by political parties which make up the House of Representatives.
As no single political party has ever held a majority, it is always necessary to form a coalition government. The Cabinet consists of ministers and state secretaries and is headed by the Prime Minister. At the time of writing Unary 2010) the Prime Minister is Jan Peter Balkanized, who leads a coalition consisting of the Christian Democratic Party (CAD), the Labor Party (Pad) and the Christian Union (CUE). The States-General forms the legislative branch of government and consists of two chambers: the Senate with 75 seats and the House of Representatives with 1 50 seats.According to the census of 1889, there were 49 "Mohammedan" in the Netherlands. These early Muslims were immigrants from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), and they lived in The Hogue.
Until the Second World War the number of Muslims never exceeded a few hundred. In the asses, the number of Muslims increased as a result of immigration from Indonesia. The first mosque - a wooden structure - was built in the village of Balk in the province of Friendliness in 1951 by a group of Molecular soldiers who had served in the Dutch colonial army.The first stone mosque, the Embark mosque in The Hogue, was built in 1955. After 1960, tens of thousands of Turkish and Moroccan 'guest workers' arrived in the Netherlands to work in the country industrial sector. In the asses and ass, many of these economic migrants were Joined by their families.
The idea of an early return to their home country faded into the background and together with their families, the grant workers sought to establish a place in Dutch society. This included finding space to practice their faith.The number of mosques increased rapidly. The first mosques were often "living room mosques"; offices, schools and club houses were subsequently rented or bought. The former Dutch colony of Saurian became independent in 1975. The Surnames population was worried that they would eventually be banned from settling in the Netherlands.
Until the transitional arrangements of 1980, around 300,000 Surnames took the opportunity to move to the Netherlands. Around 10% of the Surnames in the Netherlands are Muslims, mostly of Indian or Javanese ancestry.
