Muslim minorities in the Netherlands are facing increasing violence and intolerance, the European Commission’s anti-racism watchdog is set to say on Tuesday.

News agency AFP says the report, by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, will say that Islamophobia in the Netherlands has ‘increased dramatically’ since 2000 and that Muslims are ‘disproportionately targeted’ by security policies. The report will be published on Tuesday.
AFP says tension has been fuelled since the murder of film maker Theo van Gogh by an Islamic fundamentalist.
‘The tone of Dutch political and public debate around integration and other issues relevant to ethnic minorities has experienced ‘dramatic deterioration,’ AFP quotes the report as saying. It goes on to warn of a ‘worrying polarisation between majority and minority communities’.
The Netherlands Muslims – around 6% of the population – face ‘stereotyping, stigmatising, outright racist political discourse and biased media portrayal,’ the report continues. Anti-semitism is also on the rise, with the word ‘Jew’ increasingly used as an insult.
The report comes as the Netherlands prepares itself for a potential backlash when anti-immigration MP Geert Wilders issues his 15-minute film about the Koran. The film will portray the Koran as a ‘fascist book which encourages violence,’ Wilders says. It is set for release in March.