Lady Oddjob is now at odds

Populist but dangerously at odds

They finally had the bottle to do it and rightly so. Lady Oddjob has had her hat thrown at her and she has been decapitated – well not literally.

Readers of my blog would think I have had it in for Mrs. Verdonk for all her populist policies on integration and immigration, which display an overarching toughness but belie a seething illiberal xenophobia that is gaining acceptance amongst the Dutch.

She has on 5 occasions been called to the Dutch Parliament to explain her actions but there was always a détente, a hesitation, and an almost there that there were never enough votes to sanction her.

But Mrs. Verdonk has been no end of trouble for her party and the cabinet in which her party help a minor coalition participation, part of which lead to the fall of the cabinet in the middle of the year.

Popular but unliked

Whilst she did garner more votes than her party leader, in general, she was not aligned to the Dutch way of doing things in government, the parliament now stung or refreshed by the elections of November 22 have now successfully passed a motion of no confidence on her.

The kind of brinkmanship where the Prime Minister just detached himself from responding to the displeasure of parliament had reached a point where there were just enough votes this time to get it over and done with.

She obviously has been unable to take the hint that she is the issue and even if she is not, other people in office with any iota of integrity and self-respect would have stepped-down.

Not Mrs. Verdonk, she would tough it out, like she has always done, till it becomes untenable for the team in which she is a junior member to maintain any credibility. She is a blind Samson who is ready to bring down the temple on herself but taking all the worshippers down too in her suicide mission.

The cabinet which is for now in caretaker mode should now just sacrifice the lady for the stability of governance rather than chuck it all in as they are wont to do in general.

Popular party of one?

Mrs. Verdonk is a junior minister, the indictment is against her intransigence and obstinate demeanour that gets its lifeblood from the Zombie-ist – Rules are the rules – mantra.

We might finally get a minister that would handle the portfolio of Integration and Immigration with a humane perspective because for all her strengths, she worked to disintegrate and make others emigrate.

She might just end up starting her own party, though it is unlikely that she would do anymore harm to the government that what has been done to this comatose cabinet in life-support.

I am beginning to have faith in the Dutch Parliament and it is high time.

References

The Lady Oddjob Blog Trail

The Verdonk Blog Trail

Verdonk back with new controversy

She is controversy personified and breathing

Sometimes I wonder if this woman courts controversy or exemplifies the evil personification of controversy itself.

Despite the overworked proposals that pertain to almost hapless immigrants who decide to emigrate to this land of a hard and difficult tongue, Mrs Verdonk having kept a lower than low profile with regards to how she wrecked the last cabinet and government is back in the news again.

Double Dutch and triple hurdles

Already, there are hurdles as high as the Israeli wall, which include having to learn to fluency the Dutch at the port of embarkation to the Netherlands.

Anyway, there is no doubt that there should be a way of processing illegal immigrants and deporting them back to ports and locations of embarkation where we are assured that their life, security and well-being would not be compromised.

It cannot be said the Mrs Verdonk as been scrupulous in these matters though, having offered names of asylum seekers to home governments that could waylay the arrival the "traitors" and lead them to situations that would be considered untenable according to our standards.

Besides, being called to the Second Chamber to explain her actions several times which either prejudiced people or make a public spectacle of the Dutch in the most unflattering ways, she remains interesting popular, but also am impediment to good integration policies.

Announcing a new controversial policy

So, her low profile purdah has ended with the news that she intends to make it difficult for once illegal immigrants to return to the Netherlands even if this time they have obtained through proper process the leave to return and settle in the Netherlands.

One wonders what this is supposed to achieve if the once illegal immigrant now legalises their presence in the Netherlands, which should be the right thing to do.

As usual, we are informed that this is not related to any case but some recommendations given in some pre-existing report.

Once illegal now legal to study law

Exactly, as I now note that Taida Pasic, the Kosovan and the unfortunate political pawn immigrant who was thrown out a few months ago within weeks of her examinations, will return in September to study law in the University of Leiden being sponsored fully by an organisation that advocates the emancipation of women.

Somehow, this minister just has a way of presenting policy to make anyone and everyone suspicious of the intentions, motives and goals as one despairs for the sad and sick Machiavellian glee that satisfies the people who craft such dastardly ideas as policy.

References

Verdonk plans to block former illegals

Verdonk survives censure as she admits more mistakes

Verdonk in the wars again over Syrian deportees

Data authority questions Verdonk's handling of Taida

Student Taida gets permission to return

No to Balkenende III

Balkenende III must not be conceived

The whole idea that the Queen of the Netherlands has assigned the task of reviving the dead duck government of Jan Pieter Balkenende in a reincarnation that would be known as Balkenende III fills me with uncomfortable dread.

The whole premise of the fall of this government seems to have been lost in some royal prerogative which one thinks should have better exercised in ridding the government of the bale of Mrs Verdonk rather than seeking a view to create a minority government.

If Ruud Lubbers, a former Prime Minister of the erstwhile ruling CDA party, whose most recent public showing was a resignation from a high profile UN posting on alleged charges of sexual harassment should succeed, I would expect the parliament to accede to a vote of no confidence in Balkenende III - We desperately need change, not a stitch-up.

Lacking in judgment and relevance

My primary concern surrounds the general belief in consensus politics in the Netherlands where it is difficult, if not impossible, for politicians who exact greater standards of their electorate to claim responsibility for their faults almost to the point of being unaccountable even though they are quick to earn accolades for “success”.

Mrs Verdonk has at least 6 times had to appear before parliament to explain her actions in the controversial and volatile portfolio of Minister of Integration and Immigration. She has allegedly abused her office and over-reached her remit in ways that have brought serious concerns though difficult to assess objectively because of the populist nature of some of those actions.

However, the simple case for consideration is that this Ms Ayaan Hirsi Ali was inadvertently removed from parliament by someone with ministerial powers but has never been validated by an electorate.

A travesty of Democracy

The government which also has an electoral mandate till May 2007 also allowed itself to fall on a consensus that does not a represent an equality of partnership. Mrs Verdonk is a junior non-elected minister in the Justice Department, no matter how high-profile immigration has become in Europe.

What Mr Jan Pieter Balkenende has allowed is a travesty of democracy by not selecting ministers that can have the magnanimity to assume responsibility and take the rap on the one hand, and by his not having enough leadership acumen and disposition to address the issue in the broader context of our electoral franchise and Mrs Verdonk's insignificance in that respect.

This government is supposed to have a major legislative agenda concerning Afghanistan and the budget, but all that paled into quagmire of the irresolute apology for governance that Balkenende I & Balkenende II have come to represent.

A centre-right government that is soporifically docile, every news item of importance sits in the realms of extremists - they were precariously aided the lurch to intolerance that was becoming evident in the Netherlands.

To imagine that the CDA/VVD partnership can go back to the electorate and be rewarded for this utter lack of sense of occasion and responsibility would be too hurtful to contemplate.

Only one thing would suffice a caretaker government till November when we can really reward these legless leaders with a worthy retirement.

Verdonk force fed humble pie

Facing a farcical loss of face

The suspense, needless the tension as we waited with bated breath for a result, a verdict, maybe call it a confirmation.

But, it was an about face without the face saving element she was given 6 weeks to conjure up.

Only six weeks ago Ayaan Hirsi Ali was given six weeks to explain why she should remain a Dutch citizen, a situation that lead to her immediate resignation from the Dutch parliament and serious concern amongst the expatriate and immigrant communities.

The Dutch Second Chamber convened an emergency session to debate that decision which was handed down by Mrs Rita Verdonk, the Minister of Immigration and Integration as well as then aspiring to the leadership pf the Liberal party.

The session ran till 3:00AM and Mrs Verdonk was given six weeks to ensure that every legal possibility was explored to ensure that Ms Hirsi Ali retained and remained a Dutch citizen without fail.

We be not fools

Mrs Verdonk milked the whole six weeks of reflection, reconsideration and indecision, during which she also lost the race to lead the Liberal Party - thankfully.

For almost two weeks rumours have been trickling out that this issue would be resolved in Ms Hirsi Ali's favour, however, to pretend that this redress would undo the peripheral damage would be naïve.

It now appears, the face saving formula has included agreeing that Ms Hirsi Ali - using her grandfather's family name, who should have applied with Magan using her father's name was not really untruthful about using either.

Ms Hirsi Ali herself has also offered commentary to exonerate Mrs Verdonk for her faux pas, which has now been rectified by this so-called loophole. This is beginning to bore me.

She lost us the World Cup

This does not get Mrs Verdonk completely out of the hot water because we are still licking our wounds in the aftermath of that record card dealing World Cup match against Portugal.

One of the best football players ever besides Pele in the person of Johann Cruyff has said Mrs Verdonk cannot be completely blameless for our exit in refusing to allow the person of Salomon Kalou to become Dutch and depriving us the football talent that might have made a difference.

In the same vein, she also deprived the Ivory Coast the same football talent in not being decisive about the issue early enough.

Basically, one can argue that Mrs Verdonk is a liability whose brief to promote integration if not patriotic allegiance has only created bad press in the representation of the Dutch to the world at large.

Time to give her a title in appreciation and pension her off.

References

Dutch ex-MP retains citizenship

After all the fuss, Hirsi Ali to keep Dutch citizenship

Hirsi Ali exonerates Verdonk for passport gaffe

The Freedom of Association vs the Abhorence of Pederasty

Tempering opinion with reflection

After much reflection, I think I have to revisit the views in my blog of yesterday. Now, this is not to trivialise in anyway the sufferings of people who have by occasion of encounters with pederasts had their lives turned upside-down, but to see what in the name of our civilised existence can be done.

I remember years ago, I met a right-wing skinhead who happened to be homosexual and aligned with some Nazi outfit.

The encounter was bruising, but not of the physical kind, thankfully. The conversation went along the lines of the lowness of life of the black race and every other rehashed racist stereotype that could be expressed.

I listened and then said, whilst, I do not agree with your opinions in anyway, I would still defend your right to have them and express them - in the end, if I take offence, I would seek redress in appropriate ways.

Tame as this response might seem, it appears it was disarmingly effective because I did not offer the expected reactions to racist abuse.

When he inferred I was a monkey, I retorted, he had either learnt to communicate with monkeys or monkeys have achieved a level of intellect rivalling the genius amongst men.

Flawed views of history

As he went on with his diatribe, I hinted to the fact that even though I would have been somewhere on Hitler's list of undesirables, he as a homosexual would have been in the concentration camps long before those of my kind were rounded up.

Hence, my confusion as to how he could really correlate his adherence to right-wing ideology with his as it was aberrant sexuality.

A couple of weeks later, I returned to the pub for a drink and heard that he had committed suicide and none of who knew him had anything nice to say about him. I found that I was left with the saying, what I once said to him - I did not agree with his views and opinions but he had the will and wherewithal to have those views and express them with conviction. I quietly prayed for his soul.

Anybody who holds a view about anything should be able to express them, though issues of responsibility and sensitivity can apply, it is really left to the individual.

Dutch pragmatism on humanity

So, back in the Netherlands where the world assumes drugs and prostitution are legal, we need to examine why this situation appears so.

The pragmatism of the Dutch understands that human beings would be human beings with their good habits and their vices. Rather than pretend everyone can be perfect, we have allowances for those vices within particular parameters.

So, prostitution is legal and available in certain neighbourhoods, with prostitutes registered, subject to health checks and gatteing necessary aid for their profession.

Certain kinds of soft drugs are available in what we call coffee shops; you can only be sold so much of the drug with a certain level of potency.

However, there might be instances where people go from shop to shop buying the maximum quantity allowed, till they have a large stash, but that is no more the responsibility of the shops and the person is now verging on the illegal in that activity.

Exposed to accountability

Therefore, I have come to the conclusion as we noticed in England where the British National Party which is a right-wing party exists and gets votes to sit on council seats, it offers a general idea of the kind of support those associations get and the greater public an decide how to react to such support.

The pederast party then, if disallowed the opportunity to congregate would deprive us of a necessary demographic that would reveal if there is growing support for lowering the Age of Consent and allow sexual liaisons between adults and children or it is a seriously unpopular notion that has no place in our society.

It would be wrong to allow this constituency to remain underground, unnoticed, un-policed and unaccountable when some have had the courage to put their heads above the parapet.

The lynch mob is not of civilisation

Civilised society would then be the judge of the validity of this association.

I know that this is a difficult stance to take, but our freedoms, liberties, tolerance and democracy is threatened if we allow our subjective assessment of albeit vile views to becloud the opportunity to recognise the fact that some people are so different, and we need to look out better for our children.

We cannot submit to mob rule because we cannot countenance the despicable, that is not what our freedom is about.

Unisex Pederasty seeking a Dutch constituency

To tolerate or not

The nuances and complexities of the Dutch society and the politics that exudes from seeking to represent views, opinions and issues never cease to baffle.

Within the melee that accompanied the election of the leader of the Liberal Party last week, another party was born.

There is nothing wrong in registering political interest to represent a constituency of opinion once you get 500 signatories in the Netherlands, but you need the publicity at first to garner the prospective signatories.

Besides, there is a healthy tolerance of all sorts of political views except probably one in particular and this party became the rallying ground for this.

The paedophile party

This new political party had as its underlying manifesto the reduction of the Age of Consent from 16 to 12 - Age of Consent generally refers to the age at which adults and persons of a younger age can engage in sexual activity without fear of persecution or prosecution.

Many, however would contend that moving the Age of Consent to any age lower than 16 is either statutory rape in some instances, the uncomfortable tolerance of paedophilia and the adherents of acts that promote that activity.

Of the acceptable pleading the unacceptable

There is a quality of tolerance in the Netherlands that allows for people to publicly declare their interest in this matter, and there is a body of vigilantes who would with no provocation seek to do serious harm to those peado-protagonists.

Besides, there are also others who would declare interest in a non-committal way, where, for instance, a company is suing for the use of initials similar to those of its business.

For all the publicity that ensued, it does not help to realise that the main promoter of this party is a 62-year-old man living in a caravan park (address provided in news stories for the mob), which he has had to vacate due to threats to his collaborators and himself.

The rules again

However, you must never forget - the rulebook - it comes in handy again, the caravan park is supposed to be used for recreational activities and launching a party from a caravan in this caravan park is contrary to the rules.

This unsavoury case of public opinion and paedophilia is played out in stressing other points like the neighbours in the caravan site saying the caravan was so large there were not people living close to the man.

Other parties indicate they would withdraw web-hosting services from this unwelcome organisation.

Outrage, derision, consternation, anger, violence and condemnation gather in unity against a situation where the lines of the responsible exercise of liberties and freedom of expression have been crossed by one side proclaiming the untenable and the others baying for blood in the hysteria that always accompanies child porn, paedophilia and sexual crimes.

Protect the innocent - ALWAYS!

Our children, do indeed, must and need be protected from people who take sexual advantage and favours on the premise of being friendly and caring.

Having suffered such abuse myself before, one is left utterly confused about the rights and wrongs of the acts that probably give pleasure for some but create lasting damage for many.

Whilst, I cannot find a mountain high enough to proclaim or the tolerance deep enough to accept - my defence of the rights of association are definitely taxed beyond remediation - Do not let dirty old men join up in assailing the innocence of the weak and defiling the sexuality of the young and gratifying the lasciviousness of their carnal and unconscionable lusts.

I cannot be this liberal

Beasts from the pit of pederasty, debauched beyond redemption and given to wanton depravity should not roam free to prey like hungry hyenas on our young regardless of our outspoken liberties - our civilisation is about civilising people and not acquiescing to whims of the degenerate.

No, I will not join the hysteria of the mob for a lynching, rather, this needs objectivity in resolution, if they have committed no crimes they cannot be arrested for anything, but their intentions indicate the need for surveillance of their activities just in case these proclamations are closer to reality than fantasy.

For those who have ever been violated, like I was, but mercifully spared longterm damage, I feel your pain, I only wish you can find real support in those who really do love you.

I can tolerate a lot, but this one goes well beyond what I can countenance. Do not give them one chance.

The Cacophony of Rules vs The Silence of the Indifferent

We love the Netherlands

It probably has not dawned on my readership why my obsession with Lady Oddjob the Minister for Integration and Immigration or rather appropriately, of disintegration and emigration has been vociferous and bordering on the vituperative and virulent.

I now think I can put together a general context that depicts Dutch officialdom; but also affects immigrants and expatriates alike.

First, we non-indigenes come to the for many reasons, we bring with us, our culture, heritage, values and outlook to life which we have to intertwine and weave into the fabric of the host society as we adapt and integrate.

Some are better at integrating than others, most especially the younger ones in terms of language learning and relationships building.

There probably is a tendency for those who can, of right, live in the without application to vegetate to their expatriate communities if they encounter the slightest difficulty in the language and relationships building or social area. It is however, not for the want of trying.

In general, we love this place, we love the people, they have a varied and vibrant history and that is why we came here and live here. I make my home in the , happily, joyfully and fulfillingly.

Amsterdam is not Dutch Society

The tourist view the Netherlands usually extrapolated from the experiences in Amsterdam which is hardly the typical Dutch mien, when you come to settle, it is a whole new set of rules; you hit officialdom and are let utterly exasperated at the lethargy, disinterest, indifference and nonchalance of people who come to work to be seen and not necessarily to serve – you will eventually get attention, however, by then, you are at your wits end.

Digging up history to support a generalisation could be a bit unfair, but they do not necessarily have their roots in falsehood, a pattern and mode of life has been astutely observed over time to arrive at those conclusions that urban legends then tend to perpetrate.

Agreement through silence and acquiescence

Suffice it to say that indifference, collaboration, adherence and personal interest, first with officialdom that followed the rules and the populace which accepted that guidance, lead to the Netherlands losing 75% of their Jewish population to the Holocaust.[1][2][3]

Only a few years ago, we were overcome with the angst about whether Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl who journaled her time in hiding was the greatest Dutch person or an immigrant who just happened to be in the [4]. Yet, a tourist’s visit to Amsterdam is probably not complete without a visit to Anne Frank’s House.

So, Mrs Verdonk’s assertion that she is only following the rules as she sees them has historical precedence in the fact that her campaign slogan had the hallmarks stemming from one used by an ultra right-wing party and also from the perception in times past that the Nazi interpretation of the rules was the accepted and valid interpretation. [5][6]

Indifference is lethal

As she threw her hat into the ring for the leadership of the Liberal Party, it was important to remember the words of The Reverend Martin Niemöller, who clearly expressed how indifference can come back to haunt you in a very harrowing way, and this is what he said of the Nazis.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out

because I was not a communist.

Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out

because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the labor leaders, and I did not speak out

because I was not a labor leader.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me, and there was no one

left to speak out for me.

The Reverend Martin Niemöller

A lot is happening in the world today, that has people who can speak up adopting the “does not affect me” stance, I do wonder who would be left to speak up for them.

I, as both a British and European citizen do not have to be concerned about the way asylum seekers and immigrant non-European Union citizens are treated by the authorities and the hubris of the minister – I have inalienable European rights, but when you see language bans, forced contraception and people’s lives messed about for political point-scoring, one had better speak up now, because each new attack is an erosion of the whole body of rights in humanity that we possess and cherish.

Poor judgement for opportunism

This informs the situation where Mrs Verdonk’s actions in the case of Ayaan Hirsi Ali ended the political career of two very popular women in Dutch politics – the one of Hirsi Ali and hers. [6]

In what she did, she exuded that part of Dutch ambivalence that would make your skin creep, we immigrants sometimes do wonder if we can every fully understand what the Dutch regard as norms. As integrated as Hirsi Ali was, her undoing was that she did not adopt the “Live and let live” complacency to a the serious problem of Islamic dehumanisation of womanhood, she talked and talked out loud – that is not a Dutch norm – not at all.

Whose kind of immigrant?

So, the question remains what kind of immigrant does the want?

In what is looking like the mentality that traded Manhatten for we have three clear cases this year that show that Mrs Verdonk’s lack of judgement and perception is a handicap to any claim to leadership.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali might not have been the most loved or lovable immigrant/politician in the but she had one of the highest profiles, she is both well educated, successful and feted generously by the international community. She was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2006. Now deprived of her elected membership of the Second Chamber and Dutch citizenship, she is emigrating to the to take up a post with the American Enterprise Institute – with or without a Dutch passport.

Salomon Kalou, a very talented footballer from the Ivory Coast whose brother is going to the World Cup for the home country as captain, was recognised in spite of the 16 million eligible Dutch and probably 1000 qualified footballers, this immigrant was consider a valuable and probable asset to the Dutch dreams of football glory.

Against the better judgement of professionals where we know for a fact that people who can bring talent to the Netherlands can be fast-tracked to citizenship, his application was thwarted in a public spat that leaves much to be desired. [7]

This young man readily had a space in the Ivory Coast team to play in the world cup, but opted for the cold north in the where his application was messed around that it was too late for him to play for either the or .

Transferred to the Chelsea Football Club for a princely sum; a resounding vindication of the fact that the young man could have been a very valuable asset to the football team – he leaves for .

Taida Pasic, arrived from Kosovo at the age of 12 with her family, she quickly picked up Dutch and ended up being the best in her class for years – just months before her final exams, she became embroiled in an immigration situation which involved sending her back to Kosovo. At one time, she was handcuffed by officials in the presence of her classmates.

The brilliant girl who has since returned to Kosovo but was granted the unique dispensation of sitting her Dutch exams in the Dutch embassy wants to study law in the elite University of Leiden and a foundation in the has already offered to sponsor both tuition and living expenses.

She should return under a student’s visa and Mrs Verdonk better do well not to stand in her way this time.

Such is the way our love for the goes unrequited because some mandarin of officialdom bellows with salivating and sick-making sputum like Cerberus – Who goes there?

Many have suffered

These are the ones we know which Mrs Verdonk has through ultra vires exposed to the press in her quest to burnish her tough right-wing image.

The number of times the Second Chamber has suffered the sobriquet of a barking dog without a bite begins to bother me as Mrs Verdonk has been called at least 5 times to explain herself to parliament.

After the debate which is usually characterised with Dutch plain speaking and deference without the genuflection, Mrs Verdonk sometimes cuts the image of an unassailable overload who has one answer and everything point to that one answer to the exasperation of the members of the Second Chamber.

Rather than sanction her or pass a vote of no confidence on her, détente reigns as she is given a mandate to execute and another chance to sin again. Where the courts have ordered her to reflect she has been slothful to the point of almost mocking the context of our democracy because her populist views buoys her in the eyes of the general populace.

Where there is no effective sanction these high profile dramas of sacrificing talent and human welfare of opportunistic advantage would continue. Thankfully, the last time this happened she burnt her own bridges too. I suppose, when a mountain is immovable we can only hope there is volcano underneath it ready to help it self-destruct.

These issues should count against her, regardless of the trouble she might eventually cause – parties and people of the far right are beginning to woo her, and as long as she believes is following the rules, she might be tempted to break ranks – hopefully, that would be breaking ranks into obscurity.

No nice words for Mrs Verdonk

An Engaging Reality Show – the Dutch Parliament in session

The Dutch have a penchant for straight talking but always seem to act towards a form of consensus or compromise.

Nowhere was that more evident than in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament when an emergency debate was called to address the Ayaan Hirsi Ali issue with the minister – Mrs Rita Verdonk.

Expatriates like myself hardly watch Dutch television, but somehow expatriates had a compelling desire to witness the events in the Dutch Parliament which ran on till about 3:00AM.

This is, I think, the fourth time in less than 2 years that Mrs Verdonk has been called to the parliament to address issues the legislature think border on abuse of power, abuse of privilege, the lack of due process and abrogation of procedure.

The Hirsi Ali case had a considerably high profile, being that the decision Mrs Verdonk made automatically meant Mr Ali cannot continue to be a Member of the Dutch Parliament.

Backslash, Slash, Backspace, Backslash - Questions

The MPs had a field day posing questions and questioning rationale, it looked like we were going for the full showdown, but for all the times that Mrs Verdonk has like a chastised school pupil appeared before the house, things have almost gone to the brink, but there was always a pull back.

There is no doubt that Ms Ali used false information to register as an asylum seeking, there might have been reason for any asylum seekers to use a false name for expedient reasons of leaving behind their history and making them untraceable till such a time as they are ready to be exposed.

Mrs Verdonk as also right within the remit of her ministerial duties to institute an investigation to ascertain the circumstances in which Dutch citizenship was granted and the validity of that exercise.

Communications schizophrenic

However, whilst the letter send to Ms Ali indicates that her Dutch citizenship is invalid, it gives her leave to appeal within 6 weeks, but in play of words that definitely exasperated a not few MPs Mrs Verdonk opined that she observed rather than affirmatively indicated that situation.

The debate that ran through issues like the minister’s truthfulness, understanding of the law, appreciation of the power of parliament and deference to its demands, hardly any MPs could find words of praise at her actions.

Rather, one ex-leader of her party did express surprise at the speed of resolution of the inquiry alluding to the fact that the backlog of claims in the immigration department would have been cleared up if things were that efficient. They are not – that department is an utter bureaucratic mess.

Called to order

In the end, Mrs Verdonk – The Iron Lady and my Lady Oddjob has been ordered, yes, ordered, to review the case of Ms Ali on the status of her citizenship and where it is found that her claim is valid, it should be accelerated.

Yesterday, I discerned that we would not hit the streets in protest, but expect the Dutch to do something about it – this compromise is as good as it gets – the minister does not entirely lose face, the government does not collapse and parliament gets to impose its will.

There is a Dutch ambivalence to this issue, in that the many I have chatted to, on the face of it commend Mrs Verdonk for following the law, but when I raise issues of the exercise of the law requiring a human face and the possible negative effect on expatriates or the fact that a Dutch a language that thrives on exceptions cannot seem to seen exceptions in the imposition of the law, Mrs Verdonk’s esteem falls.

This is probably part of my integration, trying to understand the Dutch psyche – where I would have thought a big slap on the wrist would have sufficed with an admonition and liberal sanction, the obstinate adherence to laws has undone all the parties involved.

The chastised Verdonk

Mrs Verdonk can as well put paid to the idea of leading her party at the end of May – it is a case of an opportunist being overtaken and outplayed by the opportunity. Like Samson, his exercise of power in trying to destroy his enemies also brought the building down on himself.

I would not rejoice too early, but I cannot wait to see Mrs Verdonk come second best in the leadership race for the Liberal Party.

However, it is only in Dutch politics that the most high profile minister of the realm is a minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Justice.

Apart from the Prime Minister who has had a makeover from his erstwhile Harry Potter looks, one wonders who those who run portfolio ministries are – Finance, Interior Matters, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Defence – they all probably have not been mentioned once for anything significant, this year.

Bizarre, but that is living in the Netherlands – amazing place!

References

The Verdonk Archive

Expatica's Dutch news in English: MPs order Verdonk to reconsider Hirsi Ali's status:

Expatica's Dutch news in English: Hirsi Ali: fast decision amazes ministers:

Lady Oddjob draws ire and fire

I need not say anymore, the Liberal Party has been accused of scandalous opportunism in supporting Mrs Verdonk’s actions.

The Verdonk Archive

Lady Oddjob decapitates Poster Child

Ruthless Rita

Not that we feared that this would be the result of Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s tribulations, but the swiftness with which Mrs Rita Verdonk, the never elected but influential minister of Integration and Immigration has discounted 14 years of acquiescence to the Dutch way of life is legendary and without precedent.

Basically. Ms Ali has now been told, she was never a Dutch citizen, and hence, by inference she cannot continue to be a Member of Parliament.

Mrs Verdonk personally called her last night to deliver the message.

There are more than enough mitigating circumstances for Ms Ali’s Dutch citizenship to be revalidation in spite of her misdemeanours of 14 years ago.

She, like I have said before, is probably the most high profile integrated immigrant in the Netherlands besides the Princess Maxima who is Argentinean by birth but married to the Crown Prince Willem-Alexander.

No encouragement whatsoever

It provides no encouragement for those of us who strive to begin appearing relevant in more ways than just paying rates and taxes in the Netherlands.

This is not to say that adherents of Islam would be shedding a tear nor would it bring the general ethnic communities unto the streets – however, it should bring the Dutch out in protest against unconscionable intolerance masquerading as enforcing the ministerial prerogative of the law. [1]

Basically, on this matter, Mrs Verdonk has been a shameless opportunist who has sacrificed the Dutch citizenship of a fellow countrywoman for the quest to appear tough in immigration with the hope that her Liberal Party would vote she in as leader.

I do sincerely hope that the Party does see through this charade of political expediency and deny her any opportunity to foist that on more that the already unfortunate few that have come under her gaze.

Seriously, that a minister who has never faced an electorate can invalidate the election of a representative of a Dutch constituency sets new precedent – we are in wildly uncharted waters.

Good Luck and Godspeed, Ms Ali

Meanwhile, we can only wish Ms Ali good fortune in her new endeavour with the AEI as she considered her position in the Netherlands and the way irrational ministers are allowed to thrive in notoriety to the demolition of everything the Dutch hold dear.

I do not for once condone the fact that Ms Ali lied in her asylum application, but we have to see beyond the possibly, harangued and frightened 22-year-old who had escaped the throes of Africa for bright possibilities in Europe and how well she has done to account for her misdeeds.

A humanity that cannot forgo the illiberal for the tolerant and apply mercy in the face of obvious guilt cannot hope to rehabilitate who have fallen to a state of acceptance.

The figurehead for that view of humanity should likewise depart for wiser and more mature heads to facilitate fairness, justice and mercy in keeping with up with the civility of this age. This is just so, not Dutch, at all.

About Oddjob

The Oddjob nickname comes from the James Bond film, Goldfinger where there Korean bodyguard called Oddjob uses his bowler hat with a shard steel rim as a Frisbee which could decapitate victims.

This got ascribed to Mrs Verdonk when she threw her hat in the ring to contest the leadership of the Liberal party. Hence, Lady Oddjob.

As it now transpires, Lady Oddjob has decapitated the Poster child of Dutch integration.

References

[1] Hirsi Ali – Reactions

[2] Hirsi Ali to quit

The Lady Oddjob Archive