Press Release
Cornelius Haga Lyceum and How Government Bodies Go Out of Line against Islam

The Cornelius Haga Lyceum, an Islamic secondary school in Amsterdam, has been the target of an unprecedented public inquisition since its establishment. The countless accusations against the school have proven to be baseless time and time again, just like the lawsuits filed against it which all ruled in favor of the school. Now it turns out that the governments and several government bodies have gone out of their jurisdiction, willingly and knowingly, unchaining and maintaining a smear campaign against the Islamic school.

Early this month, the CTVID, supervisory authority to the AIVD, published a devastating report on the unlawful conduct of the AIVD regarding the Cornelius Haga Lyceum. But also the Education Inspectorate acted willfully when the positive verdict it brought out regarding the school was radically changed after they had “talks” with officials that were looking for possibilities to ban the school and who were members of “the taskforce problematic behavior and undesirable foreign funding.” Moreover, Inspector-General Vogelzang received an e-mail in March from the Ministry of Education in which the “explicit request” was made to investigate the different possibilities as to “end the funding, even outside regular educational legislation”. Therefore the “investigations of the Inspectorate” must be prepared from the “perspective” of these “variants”. After this the Inspectorate comes with a negative verdict regarding the funding. This concerning the “independence” of the Education Inspectorate.

Minister of Education Arie Slob (Christian Union) seized the opportunity and halted government funding of the school. The mayor of Amsterdam, Halsema, went out of line as well by negatively influencing the parents of the pupils in multiple ways.

These smear campaigns against Islam and the Muslims are normative policies nowadays. The issue of the Cornelius Haga Lyceum is not separate from it. The smear campaign against the school is due to its Islamic identity and nothing else.

It is striking that this is done to protect the foundations of the democratic rule of law. But who is truly a threat to the democratic rule of law? The school that has won all civil suits filed against it and was thus right time and time again but due to all sorts of devious and unlawful tactics it is being worked against or is it the Dutch government and its government bodies that structurally defy the democratic rule of law? Remarkable how dead silent it is on the side of the so-called fierce defenders of democracy and freedom who cry blue murder that it is in danger? Will they now stand up for “freedom and democracy”, now it is being trampled by working against the Islamic Cornelius Haga Lyceum?

It is clear that Islam and Islamic expressions are begin openly combated. All is permitted, even toppling their holy cows like democracy and freedom, and even without consequence. The parents and school staff of the Islamic Cornelius Haga Lyceum have witnessed this injustice and they remained steadfast and went successfully and united against the tide. They have showed that determination and unity make power, even if everyone is against you. Can you image what it would be like if the Muslim community would be united?

Okay Pala
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in The Netherlands