Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has met with Dutch authorities, including the Queen and the Prime Minister. An attempt by Abbas to get Dutch support for a Palestinian state was harshly rebuffed by the Dutch Foreign Minister.
Abbas has no business even speaking to these people. Two days ago, the Dutch legislature passed a law banning Ḏabīḥah, the method prescribed by the Holy Qu'ran for slaughtering animals for consumption.
I agree that the focus of President Abbas at this time in history should be on garnering as much support as he can for a Palestinian State declaration in the UN. But trying to get that support from such an Islamophobic and hateful society is not only stupid, it is insulting to Muslims everywhere. All Muslim nations should, insha'allah, withdraw diplomatic missions from the Netherlands, since the diplomats and their families and staff cannot be guaranteed a local supply of meat that is acceptable to eat. Protests should also be lodged in the United Nations.
The legislation passed by the Netherlands, sponsored by Geert Wilders, a rabid right-wing Islamophobe in coalition with a leftist Animal Rights party, will make it impossible to produce halal meat in the Netherlands. Once it passes the Senate, it will become the law of the land. Now I am hearing rumblings that they may introduce a further law banning the import of such products.
This is all a good indication of what we can expect, as American Muslims, right here in the USA. The current push to "ban shariah" in many states is just the first step towards this kind of legislated hatred right here in the US. These efforts must be fought with every resource we can muster to preserve our freedom of religion.
Note that this legislation also effects Jews, whose own slaughter laws of Shechita are also banned. The legislation (and its proposed followup) is a very thinly veiled attempt to force Muslims and Jews to leave the Netherlands, and is unacceptable in a modern, supposedly free and democratic Europe.
Mahmoud Abbas should be ashamed. Palestinians should neither want nor need the support of these bigots, and should take pride in NOT having such support. The time of the Palestinian President would be better spent speaking to nations that actually believe in the rights of Muslims.