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Dutch Muslims warned that the boycott would do grave harms to the Dutch people |
THE HAGUE — Dutch Muslims are approaching religious and political authorities in different Muslim countries to persuade them against boycotting their country's products in protest against anti-Quran remarks by a rightist lawmaker.
"A boycott will hurt Muslims who are part of the Dutch society," the Dutch Muslim Council said in a message to the Egyptian People's Assembly (lower house of parliament), a copy of which was obtained by IslamOnline.net.
"The boycott won't serve Islam. Instead, it will give ammunition for hardliners to smear our faith."
A number of Egyptian MPs have called for boycotting Dutch products and lowering diplomatic ties with the Netherlands after MP Geert Wilders, the leader of the far right Freedom Party, called for banning the Noble Qur'an in the European country.
Dutch Muslims, who make up one million of the Netherlands' 16 million population, do not think this is the right response.
"This boycott will play into the hands of this isolated MP (Wilders) who is chasing limelight and votes," the council's chairman Idris El-Boujoufi told IOL.
A copy of the statement has been sent to the speaker of the parliament, the chairman of its foreign relations committee, the Grand Mufti of Egypt and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the highest seat of religions learning in the Sunni world.
Dutch Muslims have been under scrutiny since the killing of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh by a Muslim after a controversial anti-Islam documentary.
Following the murder, which was immediately and vehemently condemned by Dutch Muslims, the Netherland has adopted a flurry of Europe's toughest entry and integration laws.
Collective Punishment
The Muslim council said the boycott will amount to a collective punishment of the Dutch people.
"We will be punishing an entire people for something they have not done, especially that the Dutch are known for their tolerance and good ties with Muslims."
Muslim worldwide boycotted in 2006 Danish products over the publication of several cartoons lampooning Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him).
The campaign caused Danish companies nearly $1.5 million a day in losses.
Denmark's leading dairy company Arla Foods, one of the hardest hit, issued at the time a strong condemnation of the cartoon and appealed to Arabs and Muslims to end their boycott of its products.
El-Boujoufi said Dutch Muslims do not want that to happen to Dutch companies.
"We always complain of being punished for the work of a few radical Muslims. How could we make the same mistake?"
The Muslim council urged religious and political parties in Egypt and elsewhere to "consult with Dutch Muslims before taking any move that could complicate the situation."
The Dutch government has slammed Wilder's remarks as damaging for community relations and an insult to Muslims in the Netherlands and abroad.
It denied any plans to even consider his proposal now or in the future.
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