Ayaan Hirsi Ali

I've been watching the events in the Netherlands over the past few days with a feeling of sadness. I'm not sure why Ayaan Hirsi Ali is being treated the way she is because she's always been honest about her arrival in The Netherlands. But, then I suppose people will say that the law has to be seen to be equal, which ofcourse is quite right. The Netherlands does have a strict immigration policy. But the present situation does seem ridiculous in a lot of ways.

I'm not a great fan of the present leadership over there but the old government was seen as being too liberal and the death of Pim Fortuyn secured the election results for sure.

Whatever people might say she had nothing to do with Theo Van Gogh's death. His murderers had targetted him before the film he made with her. And they themselves were people who lived lives which were rather at odds with what you'd think they'd be. I suppose,like a number of psychopaths, they thought there would be no chance of capture.

I'm sad at what's happening in the country at the present. There is a feeling that a tolerant society is to be maintained at all costs but I feel that some of the attitudes that are being shown aren't the best way to achieve this. And, I do wonder if some of those attitudes are just a thin veil masking other intentions.

The far right is kept verbally in check by laws. It was very interesting some years back when a journalist infiltrated a supposedly democratic political party only to find that it's views were very different from the ones it felt it could legally talk about in the streets. It was a good learning experience to say the least.

I'm sad about the way things have changed. Though The Netherlands is still my favourite place in the world.