Netherlands: Multiculti-Dutch, yes, but not in my backyard Via Expatica : Non-immigrant Dutch people say they want their children to grow up in a multicultural society, but would actually prefer their own kids to live in a white neighbourhood and go to a non-mixed school. This is the conclusion of research carried out by the monthly magazine .
Antwerp: Halve the number of mosques Via VRT : Antwerp City Cabinet Member Monica De Coninck visits the Bosnian mosque in Deurne today at the end of Ramadan. She says that it’s especially the younger generation that wants modern, larger mosques and that this can best be achieved by pooling resources in larger but fewer mosques in the northern port city.
Switzerland: Anti-Kosovar ads ignite fiery debate (’A Kosovar stabs a Swiss man’) Via WRS : Swiss People’s Party anti-Kosovar ads ignite fiery debate “A Kosovar stabs a Swiss man.” “A Kosovar kills the head of social services.” These are not newspaper headlines but instead the latest set of newspaper ads the Swiss People’s Party is running ahead of the general elections in October. They feature recent crimes committed by Kosovars with an image of their ubiquitous campaign poster “stop massive immigration” showing people trampling the Swiss flag
Grozny: “Zombified bandits” kill 9 “Bandits” is the Russian euphemism for Islamist terrorists. Via RFE/RL : Police say three suicide bombers are suspected of being behind a deadly attack in Grozny, the capital of Russia’s restive southern republic of Chechnya.
Sweden: Language-learning bonus flops Via the Local : The government’s offer of performance-based bonuses to immigrants who learn Swedish in under a year has failed to produce results, according to a new report. Bonuses of up to 12,000 kronor ($1,900) seem not to have been incentive enough for students in Swedish for Immigrants (Svenska för Invandrare – SFI) courses, as less than a fifth of the government’s money has been spent, Sveriges Television (SVT) reports
Frankfurt: Syrian-French poet wins Goethe Prize Why isn’t Adonis considered a French poet? Via AP : Syrian-born poet Adonis has become the first Arabic-speaking author to receive one of Germany’s most prestigious literary awards, the Goethe Prize of the city of Frankfurt. The 81-year-old Adonis accepted the award on Sunday in Frankfurt
Copenhagen: One killed in shooting near mosque ( the scene outside the mosque ) According to eyewitness reports the shooter was out of control.
Moscow: Mufti urges Muslims to actively integrate in Russian society ( Muslims gathered at Sokolniki Park to celebrate Eid ) Via Interfax : The Mufti of Moscow and Russia’s Central Region Albir Krganov has called on Muslims to integrate more in the Russian society.
Flanders: “Black flight” from primary schools Via Presseurop : “The children of middle class migrants are fleeing mixed schools in massive numbers,” reports De Morgen. According to the Brussels daily, the exodus has been prompted by “Moroccans who do not want their children in the same class as East Europeans.” For Antwerp University professor Paul Mahieu, who studies segregation in primary education, schools are faced with a “black flight” that is comparable to the more well known phenomenon of “white flight,” in which parents from the indigenous population withdraw their children from schools with a large proportion of students from foreign backgrounds
Bosnia: ‘Euro-Islam’ on show during Ramadan Via AFP : In Bosnia, which prides itself as the home ground of “European Islam”, religious fervour and relaxed joie de vivre live easily side by side, even during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.