Repost from April 24, 2010The importance of the upcoming Tweede Kamer elections in June is partly, but also literally,  about defending freedom in the Netherlands more so than even most Dutch voters know. One Dutch patriot who appears to be aware of this freedom fight is former Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen, who now heads up the Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA).   It is well-known that the PVV of Geert Wilders would seek to bring about the persecution of Muslims in policies based exclusively on the Islamification myth, and this will result in a serious challenge to freedom in the Netherlands and its international standing.Job Cohen knows this, as the other mainstream Dutch parties probably do, and has framed part of his party’s campaign of a society where “everyone counts.”  While Geert Wilders would like to limit schools where Dutch Muslims are educated, Cohen believes that a good education is for all children, no matter the religious or ethnic background. (So do some of his fellow country-men and party members, see below!)Cohen said that “in our Netherlands, everyone has rights and opportunities, and one should be left out.” This is reflected in the party’s list for the June elections, unveiled under the ‘Dit is Nederland‘ (This is the Netherlands) slogan – and containing the names of 70 people who have “a heart and zeal … for our country.” In a free country everyone has rights and opportunities- and the idea that people should be measured by their ethnic and religious background first is unacceptable in a free country.One such servant of his country is Ahmed Marcouch, who appears as Number 15 on the PvdA’s list. Marcouch was born in Beni-Boughafer in Morocco in 1969. Shortly after arriving in the Netherlands at the age of 10, he spent two years working hard to learn the Dutch language, which served as a motivator to work hard in everything else too.Marcouch spent ten years as a police officer and has given out some tough love to the minority young people in his community. This has gotten him viewed as a “traitor” to some minority youth, but for other minority residents, he has given them a sense of belonging. He says that good schools are needed to help bring poor minority youth out of poverty and to keep a permanent underclass from growing. Education also helps Muslim youth learn to think independently, which helps fend off radicalization, and to grow up to be good Dutch Muslims. See more about  Ahmed Marcouch.Happy Day – the PvdA leads the polls!We should take a happy note that most Dutch voters prefer Job Cohen as their prime minister by a wide margin.  Since stepping down as Amsterdam’s mayor and taking up the lead of the PvdA,  Job Cohen has very much taken Wilders out of the picture as a serious PM contender. The competition is between largely the PvdA and the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) with the Christian Democrats of current minister president Jan Peter Balkenende (CDA).  The VVD and the CDA, along with Cohen’s PvdA, make -up mainstream parties that are a part of the rational and legitimate discourse about the Netherlands’ future policies in a future government.  Serious issues, like the economy and education, need to have serious discussion in the Netherlands, like every place else in the civilized and democratic world.And – silly myths about a religious group and placing limits on freedom of religion and expression – don’t appear to be a part of legitimate discourse in Dutch politics (…and in the Netherlands, the most non-religious place on Earth?). It should appear to us that most Dutch voters are rational and really not Islamophobic and believers in the Islamification myth. They believe that patriots like Ahmed Marcouch should be regarded as full citizens – regardless of their ethnicity and religion background. This is what defines a nation that is based in liberty, with freedom and justice for all - and most Dutch appear to know this!

I have not been keeping track of Polish politics, but as a Europeanist, I certainly know about Poland as an irritation in the EU. The irritation that Poland in the European Union provided was in the form of “playing the German card” in a fashion that forgot about the purpose of the European Union in the first place. Poland also provided plenty of irritation with regard to Russia, which appeared in the form of attempts to “get back at Russia.”Lech Kaczynski and his brother were the main source of these irritations. However it has been said that the reason for Kaczynski’s visit to Russia and the Katyn forest massacre site was for reconciliation with Russia and to “turn another page.” The response of the tragic loss by Russia to this leader who was a sometimes irritant has been commendable and further evidence that Russia wants normal relations with the rest of Europe. This includes a statement by Dmitry Medvedev to the Polish people that conveyed a honor and great respect of President Kaczynski and sadness of the great loss to the Polish nation.Even as Kaczynski was usually a political opponent, we should all morn the loss of this leader. He and other top Polish officials were lost in the accident, which is a great tragedy for Poland. One political opponent said:

“Regardless of whether one agreed with his politics, or his views — and I didn’t — he was our president, and he died tragically. He deserves our respect and our homage. That’s why I’ve come.”

Agreed – as he was an opponent but he was also one that should be respected. He and his wife, along with other top officials – died in a tragedy that will be regarded in Poland as on the order of the loss of the 22,000 Polish officers who were killed at the Katyn forest massacre itself.Monday – tomorrow – will be a day of morning in Russia and the a week of morning in Poland. We should try, in our own way, to morn and show our respect with the Polish nation and people.BBC pictures -.We do need an East European nation that can transform relations with Russia for the better. What we should also hope for is that this horrible tragedy can help bring both Russia and Poland together. This appears to be starting, but let’s hope that the rational heads prevail, as, given the recent history of some East European politicians, there could be the Russophobia factor and accompanying conspiracy theories.  We should hope that a friendship grows between Russia and Poland that could transform how East Europe sees Russia. We should pray for this, we should hope for this and we should encourage this.