On 09.02.2006 at
15.30 in the afternoon there was an exciting meeting
between the Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter
Balkenende. The representatives of most of immigrant
and minority organizations were gathered because of
the coming local elections in the Netherlands
(07.03.2006) and the participation of the immigrants
in the Netherlands was discussed.
The meeting was held at the Koninklijke Schouwburg
in the city The Hague. The meeting was organized by
the organization called “Landelijk Overleg
Minderheden (LOM)”. LOM is an umbrella organization
for all immigrant and minority organizations of
Holland. The members of the Kurdish organization
Midia, Serdar Fettah and Bekhtiar Bakir took part in
the meeting.
The Kurdish organization Midia played it’s role as
an organization that helps immigrants and Kurdish
refugees. Bakhtiyar Bekir, the current head of the
LOM organization, personally handed over a letter to
the Prime Minister Balkenende. He was surprised by
the friendly behavior of the Balkende. |
Baxtiar Bakir with Prime Minister Jan-Peter
Balkenende. |
|
Bakhtiyar explained the aim and the importance of
the meeting. He emphasized the role and importance
of the immigrant organizations in Holland and spoke
about coexistence and integration of immigrants in
the Dutch Society. After the speech of Baktiyar,
Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende held his speech.
"I am happy to be among you today, I hope you are
all feeling good. I hope that in 2006 there will be
good news. And I have no doubt that this year more
importance is given to the minorities in the
Netherlands. Among those are immigrants who’ve
learned the Dutch languages, are qualified and are
experts in working fields and can take their proper
place in society.
Balkenende emphasized that the days of racism
towards immigrants looking for deployment should be
over. He hopes that this year, the people will see
with their own positive changes for the benefit of
their lives. The Prime Minister expressed his
happiness that Muslim minorities of Holland consider
themselves just as responsible as a Dutchmen for
protection of the security of Holland. He was happy
that in the latest events concerning to the
cartoons, they have behaved calmly.
In another section of his speech he clarified that
integration of minorities in Holland, doesn’t mean
that minorities should be assimilated and loose
their identity and culture. He emphasized that
integration means coexistence between the people in
the Netherlands.
In his speech he attached a great importance to the
role of Youth organizations in the process of
coexistence between the people living Holland. He
said youths have always been in the forefront of
creativity and activities. He pointed out to those
events that the foreign youth organizations have
participated in local election campaigns in
Holland's provinces.
He said that the campaign is mostly for persuading
refugees to take part in forthcoming elections in
07.03.2006.
Those groups who were present at the meeting thanked
Prime Minister and jointly presented him a present.
The representative of Midia's Youth was among the
group. He had prepared a letter and handed the
letter over to the Prime Minister. He used to
occasion to thank him face to face for his and the
Dutch governments courageous position in the process
of Iraq's liberation.
The Dutch minister of Integration Mrs. Rita Verdonk
gave a speech on the same topic. She denied the
reports of the media and press, that she said that
other-languages then Dutch are banned (About which I
reported earlier). She said that she would like to
say formally that this news is not correct.
Also Professor Dr.E.Snel from the Erasmus University
of Rotterdam presented a paper under the title
"Integrating the society." A satire by Funda Ujde
and a music concert by Sercan and Maria de Futima
ended the occasion at 18.00 hours.
http://vladimirkurdistan.blogspot.com
Kurdistan: "South Eastern Turkey" is Northern
Kurdistan. "Western Iran" is Eastern Kurdistan.
"Eastern Syria" is Western Kurdistan. "Northern
Iraq" is Southern Kurdistan
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