Ergin stated that the complaints of discrimination that the Muslim community has been expressing for years have been confirmed by official reports today.
In the second part of Anadolu Agency's (AA) dossier news titled "Discrimination in Europe", Deputy Ergin told the AA correspondent about the discrimination faced by Muslims and people of immigrant origin in the Netherlands, the legislative proposal they prepared against inequality in the labor market and their proposed solutions to this problem.
Stating that the findings in the report titled "Breaking Discrimination" published by the Dutch State Commission Against Discrimination and Racism in June are facts known by the Muslim and foreign communities living in the country, Ergin said, "We have been hearing that the tax office was being unfair for years. The tax office scandal emerged in the past years and it was understood that the tax office only conducted research on people of foreign origin." he said.
Ergin explained that they have been hearing from mosque organizations for a long time that constant investigations and pressure are being applied on them, and that in recent years, it has been revealed that municipalities have officially sent agents to mosques.
Stating that they have heard for a long time that headscarved women do not feel safe on the streets, Ergin stated that the commission also found that Muslim women are seriously victimized by racism and discrimination in the Netherlands.
Ergin said, "We know these, we live them. As the DENK Party, we are working in the Dutch Parliament to improve the position of our people in this country and bring them to a better point." he said.
The scandal, in which thousands of families, mostly of immigrant origin, were unfairly accused of fraud due to child care assistance in the Netherlands, led to the resignation of the government of the period in 2021.
In the Netherlands, in 2021, it was revealed that some municipalities had conducted secret research on mosques and mosque administrators through a private consultancy company.
Obstacles to people of immigrant origin
Stating that racism and discrimination are not always clearly seen, but are sometimes embedded in institutional structures, Ergin said that the probability of finding a job in the job market for people with Turkish or Arabic surnames decreases by 60 percent.
Emphasizing that this is neither about experience nor education, Ergin said, "This is all about the name. Since it is not a Dutch-sounding name, there is a 60 percent decrease in the possibility of finding a job." he said.
Ergin continued as follows:
"What does this mean? As a Muslim, you are a part of this country. You go to school, you gain experience, you have a certain knowledge in the job market, but you are blocked just because of your surname."
Stating that they have submitted a legislative proposal against this problem, Ergin noted that they aim to make it a legal obligation to inspect employers and prove that they act fairly in the recruitment processes, and that studies on this issue are continuing.
"Anti-foreign and Muslim hostility has revived"
Stating that they have observed a serious increase in discrimination with the rise of the far right, Ergin said, "Everyone in the Muslim community in the Netherlands is talking about this: Xenophobia and anti-Muslim hatred are currently on the rise." he said.
Ergin stated that this rise is seen in every field, from laws to sports, from the labor market to education, and that everyone has experienced this in their own lives.
DENK Deputy Ergin said, "Islam and Muslims are part of this country. Therefore, we will overcome these difficulties and protect this country more than ever. Let the far right rise as much as it wants. We are here and sooner or later they have to get used to us. If they do not like this situation, it is their own problem." he said.
"Priority area education"
Stating that education is the most important area for restoring the trust of young Muslims and those with immigrant background in the state, Ergin said that although freedom of religion and expression is talked about in the Netherlands, Muslim children face bans when they want to pray in hundreds of schools.
Ergin said, "If we can create space for our children and young people in education, they will shape the future of this country. That is why it is the most important area." he said.
Stating that the second priority area is the labor market, Ergin emphasized that the Netherlands needs a workforce and that a significant portion of the young population consists of Muslims and immigrants, and that the legal gap in the labor market must be eliminated.
Stating that their society has a combative side, Ergin said:
"We will not give up on this country just because a few people look down on us. We are a part of this country. We were born in this country, we grew up in this country. We are proud of our Islam. We are proud of being Turkish or our different cultural identities and we will protect them. The most important message to be given is: Yes, the developments are not encouraging. Racism is on the rise, the far right is on the rise, but this is our country and we will protect this country."
