Finland: More asylum seekers returning home by choice Via YLE : About one tenth of asylum seekers in Finland return to their home countries voluntarily. In the past couple of years, the greatest number of asylum seekers heading home have been Iraqis.
Morocco: Sex for a European husband Via nieuwsblad (Dutch): Poor Moroccan girls are willing to do everything in order to get a European husband.
Netherlands: Police don’t intend to enforce burqa ban Via RNW : Once the burqa ban passed by the Dutch conservative coalition on Friday is approved by parliament, police will be obliged to enforce it, Security and Justice Minister Yvo Opstelten stresses. “The minister expects police to enforce the ban in accordance with the law”, Mr Opstelten’s spokesperson emphasised. The statement comes in response to criticism voiced by the National Police Union and the central works council of the national police force that is currently being set up
Netherlands: Police don’t intend to enforce burqa ban Via RNW : Once the burqa ban passed by the Dutch conservative coalition on Friday is approved by parliament, police will be obliged to enforce it, Security and Justice Minister Yvo Opstelten stresses.
Hague: Muslim party denies dog ban proposal Via AD (Dutch): Hasan Küçük, fraction head of the Islam Democrats in the Hague, denies the party wants to ban dog ownership in the city. He says his words were taken out of context. During a debate last week about the municipal policy regarding animals, Küçük said that he thinks it’s pitiful that dogs are sometimes shut in an apartment for 23 hours a day.
Germany: Urban slang should be recognized as dialect, says expert Via the Local : The street slang spoken by young people in Germany’s big cities is so defined that one language expert is arguing for it to be recognised as a dialect. (…) “Kiezdeutsch”, which differs from city to city, is most common in multicultural areas, where different languages are mixed, said Wiese.
Denmark: Danish People’s Party wants full stop to Muslim immigration Via JP (Danish): The Danish People’s Party (DPP) wants to put a stop to immigration from Muslim countries, according to a new press release by the party. The party says Muslims don’t integrate and cause big problems with shariah zones, parallel societies and social control. The announcement followed the release of marriage figures for immigrant groups.
Netherlands: Satirist drops burqa song after death threats Via RNW : Dutch satirist Johan Vlemmix has decided not to perform his latest hit Do the Burqa onstage following death threats. The song, a carnival parody to the music of Van McCoy’s Do the Hustle, is a huge success on YouTube, so much so that the video provider has switched off the comments facility. Too many people were posting angry reactions saying that they had been insulted.
Europe: a Christian continent? Via Today’s Zaman : I think the biggest challenge for the future of Europe is to develop ways and forms of coexistence among the culturally and religiously diverse populations living on the continent. Instead of declaring multiculturalism dead, Europeans have to reinvent it
I have a rack where I hang my most worn hijabs; and just looking at them made me realise how much black, brown, grey and navy I wear in the Winter. So here’s a fresh take on my favourite colours with an indigo blue maxi skirt, paired with pastels and soft greys