Netherlands to wait for a UN decision over Syria

The Members of the Netherlands Foreign Affairs Commission of the House of Representatives discussed Syria Thursday and they took a dim view of a possible military intervention in Syria without getting the support of UN.

Netherlands will wait for a UN decision over the matter, said Foreign Minister Franciscus Timmermans.

Members of the commission also voiced thatthe Dutch Patriot missiles in Turkey can not be used for attack purposes stating they were sent to Turkey for defense purposes.

Last night the British parliament voted against British troops getting involved in Syria and in fact handed Mr. Cameron, who was in favor of the intervention, a resounding defeat.

Almere-Digest

The Netherlands - Built to thrill: 12 crazy man-made adventures including Worlds Best Safari in Flevoland

Especially now that summer is coming to an end, there's nothing quite like catching the wind in your hair, reaching out for the next rock hold high above the valley floor, or whizzing down some woodsy trail on your finely tuned mountain bike… well, almost nothing.

USA Today has listed 12 of the greatest man-made adventures on the planet, including awe-inspiring (and safe) wildlife encounters, outdoor thrills brought indoors and amazing "natural" features that were deftly built with human hands.

From a transplanted marshland safari in the heart of the Netherlands, to a cool indoor ski center under the steaming Dubai sun, all the way to a barnacled sunken warship teeming with marine life.

Here is the best safari—Oostvaardersplassen, Netherlands: This 22-square-mile nature preserve is an artificial marshland reclaimed from the sea by clever Dutch engineers. A series of dikes protects the area, and grazing species such as red deer, ponies and graylag geese stem overgrowth, keeping the space open for endangered bird species. Safari seats are limited, however, as only 400 excursions—including photo safaris, cycling trips and ranger-led animal-spotting walks—are organized annually, so as not to disturb the fragile ecosystem. The assembled bird population includes egrets, cormorants and herons, as well as ravens and white-tailed eagles—creatures that otherwise wouldn't breed locally.

Read more: Built to thrill: 12 crazy man-made adventures

The Netherlands: Persecuted Egyptian Coptic Christians will not receive special asylum arrangements says Government

The Dutch cabinet headed by PM Mark Rutte sees no reason in the present situation for special asylum arrangements for Coptic Christians from Egypt. “There is no question of an organized religious cleansing there”, says the Dutch Government

Dozens of churches and other properties, however, of Christians in Egypt have been set on fire in the past week. The small Dutch Christian party ChristenUnie wants the cabinet to make more specific efforts on behalf of the Coptic religious minority, for example by designating them a ‘risk group’ as part of asylum policy. They could then be able to obtain temporary asylum in the Netherlands more easily.

But the cabinet is not in favor of this for now, and is also not prepared to relax its visa policy. Every visa application will be considered on its merits, but the visa procedure is not intended for people who want to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 90 days, Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans says in a letter to parliament.

ChristenUnie political party says it is disappointed. “Coptic Christians appear to be outlawed,” according to MP Joël Voordewind.

Timmermans says in his letter that ''individual Egyptians” have used the unrest to commit violent acts against Christians, but that it cannot be established with any certainty that there is organised viiolence by political movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood. The attacks against this Christian minority are “unacceptable,” but “there is no question of an organised religious cleansing. 

A parliamentarian from one of the opposition parties noted: "this is  a strange and obviously politically motivated decision by the Government, who in the past have always opened their arms towards repressed people from around the world, regardless of their race, political viewpoints, or religious belief. 

Christians organizations in the Netherlands have been urged to contact their political representatives and national organizations to lobby for the easing of Dutch asylum regulations, in particular for Coptic Christians and Christians throughout the Middle East, who are suffering from incredible dangerous conditions, including, persecution, torture and killings.

Almere-Digest

Almere: First iPad-Only 'Steve Jobs Schools To Open In Almere and seven other Dutch cities- by James Cull

The first seven exclusive "Steve Jobs schools" have opened their doors across a number of cities in the Netherlands. Starting  today, schools in the Dutch cities of Sneek, Breda, Almere, Emmen, Heenvliet and Amsterdam will start teaching students according to the principles of the O4NT, or Onderwijs voor een nieuwe tijd (Education for a new era), which emphasizes the role of the iPad in an elementary school environment.

The program, which was first proposed by Dutch officials back in March 2012, gives every child access to a "virtual school" through an iPad and helps them develop information and communication technology (ICT) and information processing skills, collaboration techniques and a critical, problem-solving and creative mind.

The O4NT foundation is currently in talks with a number of school boards across the Netherlands and they hope that more schools will sign up the model next year. The program has a number of benefits: apart from teaching children useful skills, school hours and vacations are a lot more flexible under the new model — as the "virtual school" is accessible round the clock, 365 days a year (although the Dutch Ministry of Education is currently preventing this scenario due to legislative restrictions) — and the ICT-based approach also has a major impact on the role of the teacher. 

Read more: First Seven iPad-Only 'Steve Jobs Schools' Open in the Netherlands - Mac Rumors

The Netherlands: what is Almere doing to capture investments like Tesla, which just opened plant in Tilburg ?

Tesla Motors which recently won the car of the year award opened an assembly plant in Tilburg, Netherlands, and delivered the first Tesla Model S vehicles to customers in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany.

The 18,900 square meter facility will not produce the Model S from scratch; instead, it will receive the vehicles for final assembly and send them on their way across the continent.

To mark the occasion, first buyers from the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany showed up at the opening to receive their cars.

The car company chose Tilburg because of is proximity to the port of Rotterdam, as well as the high quality and availability of transportation options there.

"This location is pivotal to Tesla's European operations, which are expanding rapidly over the coming months with openings of around 15 new stores and service centres," Bryan Batista, Tesla's EU sales director, said in a statement.

The question which obviously arises is what has Almere done to capture investments which create jobs like Tilburg seems to be able to do? So far, it seems, not much.

Almere-Digest

You are welcome at the Afrikadag Almere 2013

On Sunday September 15, the city of Almere will show her African colors again, when the Afrikadag Almere takes place at the scenic open air venue Stadslandgoed De Kemphaan.

Some highlights in this year’s line-up are Mami Wata, an interactive theatre show for children, and a pre-fashion show of the annual Kente Festival. Closing act of the festival will be Nusodia, a dynamic blend of West-African and European musicians and dancers.

Apart from the artists on stage, visitors can sample many different aspects of African culture, from Moroccan drums and Gambian batik to modern African dance and a Somali coffee ceremony.

There are plenty activities for children and on the market you will, by all means, find your your favourite African and Suriname food and drinks.

More information about the programme can be found at www.afrikadag-almere.nl or call Kwame P at 036-5399643.

Almere-Digest

Almere: Poprondo Musical Caravan Visits City October 5 - Mark your calender

Almere will be shaking on its foundations once again on Saturday October 5, when the  Musical Caravan stops in the City for the fourth year in a row. The caravan also visits 31 other Dutch cities including, Nijmegen, Zwolle, Oss and Haarlem.

In Almere the artists will perform at sixteen different locations downtown, among those locations De Meester, Kinki Kappers, Bagel and Beans, and even at the Editorial Office of the Almere Vandaag newspaper.

There will be something for every music lover. A total of 26 groups will be performing throughout the day. From pop to rock, soul to folk. Among the performing bands: When We Are Wild, Wolf in Loveland, Herrek, Adam and the Relevants and Hompfdinga.

So mark your calender for October 5 and come to Almere, Europe's most modern and swinging city.

Almere-Digest

The Netherlands: Facts And Figures About Higher Education In The Netherlands

The Erasmus University in Rotterdam

A student born in what is called the "European Space" which includes the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles pays a standard fee per annum, valid at every Dutch Institution of higher learning, of 1.835 euro plus a 500 euro educational material fee (books etc) p/a  The level of the annual fee is set by the government on a yearly basis.

Financial Student Aid in the Netherlands is a mix of Government grants and loans which amount to a total of euro 960.87 p/a if the student lives outside the parental home, or euro 765.80 if the student lives at home. University students who can show proof of enrollment in a certified institution of higher learning are also eligible for a free public transport and railway pass valid for the academic year they are enrolled in.

Students have to show proof of academic progress on a yearly basis in order to qualify for the continuation of grants, loans, etc.

Insurance: Every Dutch citizen who reaches the age of 18 years (including students) has to be enrolled in the national health insurance program with a basic minimum fee of 87 euro per month. Students of parents who earn less than the minimum established yearly income can apply for additional grants in support of their children's education.

There are also various opportunities for Dutch Nationals to study abroad. For additional information: http://www.fulbright.nl/, http://www.wilweg.nl/, http://www.wilweg.nl/financiering/beursopener

Almere-Digest

The Netherlands: Dutch Minister Of Finance Dijselbloem Optimistic About Dutch Economic Recovery

Next year there will absolutely be economic growth said Dutch Treasury Secretary Jeroen Dijsselbloem (PvdA) Monday during a party meeting in Amsterdam. '

"But the annual explosive growth rate we had in the 1990s will  not return anymore, and  I don't want this either, because it was not sustainable growth" said Dijselbloem '

The Dutch Office For Economic Policy Analysis (CPB)  reported last week that the Dutch economy will grow by 0.75 percent in 2014, but in that estimate the new austerity package of EUR 6 billion was not included.

It is generally assumed that the new austerity measures and tax increases will slow down the economic recovery said  Dijselbloem , but he reckoned that  the Netherlands will still show some growth next year.

Dijselbloem  also said one of the major difficulties at the moment for the Dutch economy was the depressed housing market.  He said it was not his intention to give any advice or make an appeal for people to spend money, but said he considered this to be an excellent time to buy a home with interest rates at rock bottom before interest rates go up again.

Almere-Digest

Social networking in the Netherlands popular - by Alexandra Gowling

Social networks are very popular in the Netherlands, with on average 85 per cent of the Dutch internet audience (10 million people) using one of them in recent months.

Of the various networks available, Facebook is the most popular, with just over half of the whole Dutch population using the world’s biggest social network. Second most popular is LinkedIn, with just under half that audience, followed closely by Twitter.

The Dutch social network Hyves is most popular with older users, with two-thirds of their users over 35, while half of Tumblr’s users are under 35. More people in the 45 to 55 age bracket use Twitter and LinkedIn, while the largest age group, surprisingly perhaps, for Facebook users are the over 55s.

According to Facebook Benelux, 6,1 million Dutch people log on to their accounts every day, which is unsurprising as the Dutch use the internet almost more than anyone else in Europe.

People in the Netherlands are also using smartphones more and more, as seen in the 77 per cent of Facebook users who check their account on their smartphone or tablet. Of these six million users, 4,6 million log in every day.

Read more: Social networking in the Netherlands | Dutch News

Netherlands: If Elections Were Held Today Coalition Government Would Suffer Smashing Defeat - Says Polster

According to Dutch pollster Maurice de Hond the Dutch government coalition parties VVD (Conservative) and PvdA (Labor) would, if elections were held today, together get only 34 seats, 21 for the VVD and 13 for the PvdA.  A loss of 45 seats compared to last years election

The PVV ( Party for Freedom) of anti-Islam and anti-immigration Geert Wilders, who as his opponents say is better know for his "one liner's" rather than his political realism would double it's membership base in the Dutch parliament from 15 to 30 seats and become the biggest party in the parliament.

Almere-Digest

Dementia - the Netherlands: Dementia on the rise in Almere as population ages

Dementia in the Netherlands newest and most modern city of Almere is on the rise reports the local newspaper Almere Vandaag.

With the average population age increasing, the number of dementia patients has also increased dramatically in this city of 195.771 inhabitants. There were some 1411 new cases reported for 2013. The number is expected to rise to 5440 by 2030.

Almere-Digest

Architecture - The Netherlands - Almere: The Green Cathedral A Touristic Gem - by RM

The Green Cathedral seen from the outside

There is a local architectural curiosity called the Green Cathedral in Almere which is a replica of the Rheims Cathedral in France and worth your visit if you are in the neighborhood..

Where it is different from the real Cathedral is that it is an outline of the Rheims Cathedral defined by trees.

Inside the Green Cathedral

Quite a spectacular view, specially once you walk into the tree enclosed area. It probably can also best be seen when flying overhead. De Groene Kathedraal (The Green Cathedral), was designed by Dutch artist Marinus Boezem and replaces the stone and glass of the one in Rheims with poplar trees and sky.

About 20 years after it was started the artwork was "completed" in 1996 and is expected to reach its full height in 2015.

Unfortunately the Green Cathedral in Almere is not easy to find by outsiders because directions to the Green Cathedral are limited and not strategically located. The weathered billboard in front of the Green Cathedral is also unreadable.

Regardless of these shortcomings, the Green Cathedral certainly is a Dutch architectural and artistic gem.

Almere-Digest 

The Netherlands - Almere - "we are suffering a dangerous case of Dutch self confidenc disease " by RM

Dutch disease can be described as the economic condition that arises when a vast amount of wealth, resulting from external factors, flows into a country. Usually these windfall revenues create high inflation and sustain a currency priced beyond its competitive value. It drives up production costs and leaves the output of the economy uncompetitive. Capital invested in the economy becomes unproductive and the productivity of labour declines.

In the 1960's, North Sea oil and gas was the easy and irresistible challenge for the Netherlands to quickly create great financial prosperity. But unfortunately without the steadying hand of government, using policy measures to maintain the competitive viability of the overall economy, the boon soon became a monumental bust.

Basically everyone in the Netherlands is somehow still living in this 60's fantasy-world  and living beyond their means including to having a cocky attitude about it.  .

The Netherland's experience demonstrates that the Dutch disease is a condition that has to be met with policies to maintain the competitiveness of the whole economy if  you don't want the good fortune of a sudden increase in externally generated revenues to become a costly bubble to an economy. Today, we find municipal governments in the Netherlands not really seriously looking at what makes their city attractive to foreign investors in order to create new investments and jobs, but instead most seem to be haggling among  themselves about political, internal and trivial administrative matters.

Instead organizations like the World Trade Center and the Chambers of Commerce and Tourist organizations should become an integral part of strategies which increase interest, investment and employment for the local community.  Obviously it can not be a one man show, but must be a joint effort of people, organizations and corporations, which have a common and personal interest to increase the exposure of their city in order to create wealth.

It's a big world out there and you need to blow your own horn.  Just putting out a brochure (often only in Dutch) does not get investors too excited.

No one will come to your area if you can't get out of your comfort-zone and start putting in some "sweat and tears" to make it happen .

Almere-Digest

Netherlands - Almere: Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands?

Before World War II, journeys in the Netherlands were predominantly made by bike, but in the 1950s and 1960s, as car ownership rocketed, this changed. As in many countries in Europe, roads became increasingly congested and cyclists were squeezed to the kerb.

The jump in car numbers caused a huge rise in the number of deaths on the roads. In 1971 more than 3,000 people were killed by motor vehicles, 450 of them children.

In response a social movement demanding safer cycling conditions for children was formed. Called Stop de Kindermoord (Stop the Child Murder), it took its name from the headline of an article written by journalist Vic Langenhoff whose own child had been killed in a road accident.

To make cycling safer and more inviting the Dutch have built a vast network of cycle paths.
These are clearly marked, have smooth surfaces, separate signs and lights for those on two wheels, and wide enough to allow side-by-side cycling and overtaking.

In many cities Almere in the modern Province of Flevoland the paths are completely segregated from motorised traffic. Sometimes, where space is scant and both must share, you can see signs showing an image of a cyclist with a car behind accompanied by the words 'Bike Street: Cars are guests'.
At roundabouts, too, it is those using pedal power who have priority.

You can cycle around a roundabout while cars (almost always) wait patiently for you to pass. The idea that "the bike is right" is such an alien concept for tourists on bikes that many often find it difficult to navigate roads and junctions at first.

Read more: BBC News - Why is cycling so popular in the Nethe

The Netherlands - Almere: Rental homes 5% higher in Almere than national average

Rental homes in Almere are approximately 5% higher than in the rest of the Netherlands. This is causing problems for low income earners.

The Almere Municipality has a special fund " woonlasten fonds" to help low income renters in meeting these costs.

For more information check with the Almere Municipality.

Almere-Digest

In Almere more than 700 people have no healthcare insurance

Based on Dutch government healthcare figures close to 19,000 people have no healthcare insurance in the Netherlands with  Almere picking up about 4% of that number.

This means that approximately 750 people in Almere are not insured, regardless of the fact that  many of these uninsured are still registered with local healthcare centers.

People in the Netherlands who have no health insurance and visit a Dr. will have to pay for the visit in cash or can request to have the bill forwarded to their home. Presently the standard rate for a DR's visit as established by the government is euro 29.28.

Almere-Digest

The Netherlands: Are we lazy or clever? - work output lowest in the industrialized world.

Overall, the entire workforce in the Netherlands averages around 29 hours of work a week -- the lowest of any industrialized nation, according to the OECD.  However they earn some of the highest average annual wages: euro 35.000 ($47,000)

The four-day workweek is nearly standard in the Netherlands, especially among working moms.

About 86% of employed mothers worked 34 hours or less each week last year, according to Dutch government statistics. Among fathers, about 12% also worked a shortened workweek.

Dutch laws promote a work-life balance and protect part-time workers. All workers there are entitled to fully paid vacation days, maternity and paternity leave. A law passed in 2000 also gives workers the right to reduce their hours to a part-time schedule, while keeping their job, hourly pay, health care and pro-rated benefits.

Read more: World's shortest work weeks - Netherlands (1) - CNNMoney

Tourism: Biking: Almere: No better place in the Netherlands for a biking vacation

Almere is not only the newest and most modern city in Europel but probably also the best area for biking with its hundreds of km's of safe biking trails.

Biking in the serenity of Almere nature

The city is also competing for the national  title of bike city of the Netherlands for 2014

One of the curious facts of the Netherlands is that nearly 85 percent of the population own at least one bicycle. They use it regularly, often daily. 

Today there are about 17.5 million bicycles in Holland, slightly more than one for every inhabitant. About 1.4 million new bicycles are sold every year. 

Convenience is probably one of the main reasons for the Dutch to cycle as much as they do. They take their bike to go shopping because it is easier, faster and more convenient than taking the car or another mode of transport. In order to get cycling this convenient you need good infrastructure, safe streets and a place to park your bicycle at the grocery store or any other end-destination. In the Netherlands 27 % of all trips are taken by bike. Bike paths are everywhere. In a way they are like bike highways, with their own bridges, tunnels and throu

Obviously to accomplish this you need to have a bike-friendly infrastructure and local municipality ordinances which support it. The Netherlands certainly meets that criteria and the results are obvious. 

By Dutch law, bicycles must have white front and red rear lights which must be in working order at night, and fines are payable for those who fail to observe this. Cyclists are generally required to observe the same road rules as motor vehicle users, unless there is a road sign indicating otherwise.Helmets are not required by law but recommended. 

To the Dutch there’s nothing more natural than cycling with their children. Manufacturers of Dutch baby front bike seats tell their customers they can be used from the time a baby is 6 to 9 months old, or, more accurately, when a baby is able to sit upright on its own.  Some experts say that in their eyes the time a baby is one year old is a safer starting point. But in the Netherlands much younger babies are already transported on bicycles. 

For older, school going kids there now are even apps with safe biking routes to their schools.

Recently the US government adopted Dutch-style cycling as a real American transport and health choice

The rise of the electric bike set last year continued in the Netherlands. An increase of 30 percent is expected for 2009 with more than 150,000 e-bikes. The electric bike presently has a market share of 10 percent, with an average selling price of around euro 1900 good for 25% of the total bicycle sales revenues. 
  
Obviously with the rise of the electric bike also comes the loss of health benefits achieved by "human powered" biking. Fortunately studies in the Netherlands also showed that electric bikes are mainly bought by people with health problems who still want the benefit of the fresh air associated with biking in the open air.

The generally flat Dutch terrain combined with 20,000 km of "fietspaden" bicycle paths makes cycling in the Netherlands an extraordinarily pleasant activity, and one not exclusively for the very fit or sporty. 

Safely biking everywhere in and around Almere

If you can't bring your own bike you will find them for rent near, or just about at every train station. To do an advance bike rental booking just check out the Internet. Mind you those will be more expensive than the bike rentals at the train stations. Prices vary from euro 7.00 to euro 20.00 a day depending from whom you rent your bike.

If you know how to bike and want a healthy interesting vacation Holland is your country and Almere the place to go. 

EU-Digest

Dutch Government Planned Student Loan Program Could Fail Based On US Experience

As the costs of higher education continue to skyrocket across the USA and Europe, the student loan debt bubble in America is reaching unprecedented heights as more and more young adults are not able to repay their loans.

A new analysis from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in America  found that only half of the more than $1 trillion in student loan debt is being repaid. Specifically, only 42 percent of direct student loans are in repayment while 60 percent of Federal Family Education Loans are in repayment.

The CFPB also found that 13-14 percent of borrowers are defaulting on their loan, which will have secondary effects of making things like buying a home or a car that much more difficult. Experts have said this could create an entire generation of students who can’t achieve the American dream.

An additional 18 percent of former students are either in deferment, putting off paying the loan, or in forbearance because they don’t make enough money to be able to pay the loan and make payments on the rest of their bills.

The CFPB said there are several ways to reduce payments including a plan called Pay As You Earn where payments are equal to 10 percent of your income above the poverty line and after 20 years any remaining balance is forgiven.

The main issue with the government-backed student loans, however, is that these loans have created an education bubble. Both Stafford loans and private bank loans are given to essentially anyone who applies, and this has inflated the cost of education overall. On an individual level, even if a person was to declare bankruptcy later in life, his or her student loans will still stick.

Therefore, banks can make risky loans to students because they know that the government will still back those loans. In addition, with the ease of loan dispersal, students feel less of an incentive to choose degrees that will allow them to easily pay back their student loans and may instead choose programs with less job security.

Unlike 30-50 years ago, it’s nearly impossible for students today to graduate on time without the assistance of student loans or military grants. While scholarships can be a viable answer for some students—particularly those who are eligible for need-based financial aid—the majority of students can’t rely on scholarships and grants alone. So not only are loans necessary to achieve academic goals, but the costs of those goals are increasing as a result of government-backed loans. Like during the housing market crisis, prices are rapidly inflating, but people who aren’t particularly good loan candidates are still getting them because banks know that if borrowers default, then the government will bail them out.

Pursuing higher education is a valuable endeavor and can definitely result in a higher quality of life in the long run. For many, loans are the only way to afford an education. But the ease of receiving government loans is a double-edged sword that both expedites the process for people with solid career prospects and encourages risky behavior by making it easier for students to get degrees that won’t necessarily be valuable in the job market. While the increase in student loan rates is a hardship for most, what may be an even greater hardship is the difficulty of making ends meet later in life, when crippling student loan debt prevents individuals from getting what they want from their careers.

The Dutch government should take note of the above, given the very negative results achieved with the program in the US.

For more: EU-Digest

New ice stadium in Almere: KNSB

Artist design of new Almere Ice-dome

The Dutch skating association KNSB recently announced it has given the green light to Almere as its preferred location for the new speed skating stadium.

The KNSB chose the Icedôme as the new home for top-level speed skating over the Thialf stadium in Heerenveen and the new TransSportium in Zoetermeer.

The decision has sent shockwaves through the skating world. Heerenveen has played host to top-level competition since the 1980s and the province of Friesland has already allocated €50m to build a new state-of-the art stadium there.

The decision means Almere, which is closer to Amsterdam, will be the new training and competition centre for Dutch skaters and host an annual international event.

The KNSB says other international competitions could be held in Heerenveen and Zoetermeer.

Top skaters such as Sven Kramer, coaches and local government officials have already spoken out about the decision. Heerenveen and Zoetermeer are to appeal.

Frank Kolsteeg of AEG Europe en Folkert Buiter, promoters of the Ice- dôme Almere confirmed recently that the American Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) is said to be interested to manage the new stadium in Almere.

Almere-digest

Turkey: Erdogan’s Crisis With Pregnant Women - by Semih Idiz

It is no wonder that Turkish soap operas — depicting a range of issues from equality between the sexes and the empowerment of women, to liberal lifestyles and contemporary forms of leisure — are so popular in the Middle East, where millions are clamoring for more equality and modernity in their lives.

But true life experiences and debates are much more relevant for the region than mere products of fiction, and Turkey certainly has no shortage of these, as the latest heated debate concerning the “morality of pregnancy” — which has been raging for days — clearly demonstrates.

It all began when Omer Tugrul Inancer, an Islamist lawyer and commentator on religion, asserted on the state-owned television network TRT that it was shameful for pregnant women to go out on the streets. He was speaking during a special Ramadan talk show broadcast just before iftar on July 26.

“Declaring your pregnancy with drums is against our understanding of decency. You cannot walk on the streets with such bellies. To get a bit of fresh air, a woman in the seventh or eighth month of her pregnancy can go around a little in her husband’s car in the late afternoon,” Inancer, who is also known to Islamic circles as an expert on Sufi mysticism, said. He went on to add that despite this, pregnant women of all shades are to be seen everywhere in Turkey nowadays, including on television, and added, “This is shameful, shameful! This is not realism, this is vulgarity.”

The outcry following Inancer’s remarks was instant with women from all walks of life protesting him. Protesters included pregnant women and their husbands as well as women and men feigning pregnancy and prominently displaying distended bellies. Most of the demonstrators saw Inancer’s remarks as more evidence of creeping Islamism in Turkey under Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Government circles and AKP supporters insist, of course, that Inancer’s remarks have nothing to do with them. Given the way Turkey has become divided along secularist and Islamist lines under the AKP, however, it seems almost inevitable that the finger of blame should be pointing at the government.

Inancer poured more fuel on the debate later, when he not only stood by his remarks, but added that the ugly sight of pregnant women was putting young girls off the idea of pregnancy. Not surprisingly, the topic went instantly viral on Twitter under #direnhamile (meaning “pregnant women resist”). This was clearly inspired by “#direngezi” (meaning “Gezi resist”), the battle cry for the recent Gezi Park protests. One highly popular Twitter post read “Down with pregnant women, long live storks!”

While the topic became the No. 1 social issue in Turkey overnight, it was clear that women on the Islamist side of the fence were not too pleased over Inancer’s remarks either. Ozlem Zengin Topal, a lawyer and the head of the AKP’s women organization in Istanbul, for example, said she also found Inancer’s remarks disturbing. “Of course pregnant women can go on the streets. It is their natural right,” she said.

But trying to deflect some of the anger away from Inancer — who is highly respected among Islamists — Topal nevertheless felt the need to add that she did not think the debate he had started was about pregnancy itself, but the manner in which some pregnant women dress.


Editorial note: Its high time the political establishment  calls a spade a spade: Turks voted Erdogan in power and only Turks can vote the man out of power. God forbid that the already decapitated military does a coup, which would even put Turkey in a more precarious state.

It also seems totally illogical for the EU to continue negotiating with a government which does not respect human rights, privacy freedom of the press and now wants to degenerate women by conspicuously installing Sharia Law - unless was instructed by its Anglo-American leadership to do so. - which is far more likely. 

After all isn't Mr.Gulen who has been the guiding example for Mr. Erdogan's policies also a US protege? Bottom - line remains - Turks have got to clean-up their act.

EU-Digest
 

Almere: Fun City - Sunday entertainment program for "Almere Centrum"

This Summer Almere Center is not only open for shopping but also  provides fun and entertainment for the whole family.

This month the fun activities planned (from 13: 00 hours) include::

Sunday August 4: Glitter tattoos-children's entertainment team to get your own beautiful tattoo
.
Sunday, August 11: Citymall Music: Esther Robinson (location: Belfort ) influenced by great artists such as Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, India Arie and Esther created its own soul like Chaka Khan, pop sound. Esther writes her soul songs at the piano.

Sunday August 18: Trainrides through Citymall (location Belfort 15) fun for kids and parents. A beautiful train ride through Citymall Almere. For a small fee (€ 1-€ 2) you can take a ride.

Sunday August: 25: Citymall Music: Sandy Dane (Forum) Sandy Dane is already a well-known Citymall's Sandy Dane new single New Generation is a catchy combination of pop and folk, a sound as we know her.

Sunday September 1: Mr. and Mrs. Popcakes popcakes share Free Pop out. That his cookies on a stick. You may choose your own dip. Yummy feast, so!

Almere-Digest