Abutaleb will be in charge of the important portfolio of education and integration

By Khaled Shawkat, IOL Correspondent 

AMSTERDAM, February 4 (IslamOnline.net) – Holland's Labor Party announced Monday, February 2, the appointment of the first Muslim-Arab member to Amsterdam 's City Council, the highest authority in the capital.

Ahmad Abutaleb, of a Moroccan decent, replaces prominent councilor Rob Oudkerk, who was forced to step down last month over a sex scandal that hit headlines.

He will be in charge of the important portfolio of social affairs, education and integration.

There are more than 100,000 Muslims residing in Amsterdam.

Abutaleb, who immigrated to the  Netherlands at 16, was the director of the council's department for economic, social and cultural development.

There are 45 seats on the council, which are contested by the various political parties.

Abutaleb will represent the image of Labor, one of the biggest left-wing parties in the kingdom.

Council members are elected every 4 years by residents of the  Amsterdam.

After lengthy deliberations, the Labor Party cast a no-confidence vote on Oudkerk after it was widely reported that he frequented prostitutes.

Who Is Abutaleb? 

Despite being a communications engineer, Abutaleb was catapulted to fame in Holland as a journalist, TV presenter and correspondent for a newscaster during the 1991 Gulf War.

In 1990s, he presented his most-tuned-in Talk Show on the country's Muslim channel NMO, which is funded by the government and helps the Muslim community integrate into society.

During the same period, he was the spokesman for the health minister and by late 1990s he became the director of one of the major consultancy group for the central government.

The absence of Labor in the 2002-20003 coalition government denied Abutaleb the integration and minorities portfolio in the central government, although he was frequently nominated for it.

Abutaleb has an impressive command of English, French, Arabic in addition to the Dutch language.

A last year's survey showed Islam becoming the leading religion in  Amsterdam in terms of converters, storming ahead of Christianity's two main denominations, Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.

Some 60 per cent of  Amsterdam's population does not follow any religion.