Dear Ms. Jackson,
I would like to draw your and every reader’s attention to two facts.
As the first comment so astutely points out, your statement: “His quarrel is not with individual Muslims, but with the ideology of Islam.” means that W. is on a collision course with every bill and declaration of human rights as they are lived by in civilized countries. Freedom of religion was won after much bloodshed all over the world and civilized people would rather not see a repeat of those wars of religion.
Secondly, it appears you are not too familiar with the Dutch tax system. Here, even the homeless and those on the dole pay taxes. Unlike for instance the USA, the Netherlands has no tax-exemptions for people under a certain income level. Taxes are withheld from every salary and paycheck before you even get the money.
And of course, everything you buy is taxed, as W. pointed out, even dog ownership. But also bread and milk and every piece of clothing you buy. Yes, head scarves and so forth included. In other words, W. is as badly informed as you are. His proposed tax is already in place. His proposal is simply superfluous and, dare I say so, ignorant?
These are the facts.
Another thing is your ever so slightly hidden accusation, that people with roots abroad are so poor (but, to repeat, do pay taxes nonetheless.).
You overlook that several mayors of the big cities here, e.g. Amsterdam and Rotterdam et. al., have their roots in faraway countries and are non-whites nor Christians. Ditto for lawyers, doctors, clergymen and -women, professors and a host of professionals and blue collar workers.
All these pay their taxes. And taxes are hefty and steep here, so their contribution to the treasury is not to be discounted. My country and our countries would be a lot poorer without them.
Yours truly,
VHJM van Neerven,
editor-in-chief VNC
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
P.S. One sad observation to mull over:
Many Dutch fighting men and women who gave their lives in ‘our’ wars in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan were Muslems.
