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Der
Vlies said the ruling would not affect their anti-woman position.
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By
Nasreddine Djebbi, IOL Correspondent
THE
HAGUE, September 11, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Despite a court ruling
freezing its state funding, the Dutch Reformed Political Party (SPG)
is signaling no retreat on its adamant position to deny women its
membership.
The
SPG said Saturday, September 10, on its Web site it will not change
its anti-woman policy or challenge a verdict ordering the state to
stop paying it 1.2 million euros annually over its refusal to allow
women membership.
The
court has ruled that the SPG's stance was a violation of the UN
Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women.
"The
government has not taken any steps to end the discrimination against
women by the SGP, but has even supported the SGP by granting a
subsidy," it maintained.
The
party, which considers the Bible as the main source of legislation,
opposes women's participation in the political life on Biblical
grounds.
Adamant
Kolijn
en Van der Vlies, the leader of the SPG's parliamentary bloc, said he
was amazed and disappointed at the court ruling.
He
argued that the verdict "runs counter to the Dutch laws and
policies allowing political parties to operate without pressures to
abandon their doctrines".
But
he recognized that the ruling will "put renewed pressure on the
discussions within the party about membership for women".
The
SPG, which has two members in the lower house of the Dutch parliament
and one in the European Parliament, campaigns for a government
entirely based on Biblical teachings.
Geert
Voerman of the political party documentation center in the
Netherlands
hailed the court ruling as unprecedented in history of the Dutch
political life.
He,
however, ruled out a potential influence on the party.
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