Wikileaks reveals that the Americans have been sending reconnaisance troops into the remote and dangerous valleys and mountain regions of.....European cities. To monitor the local populations. They were shocked at what they discovered. Breeding grounds for extremism and terrorism. To such an extent that the Americans are now sending teams to win hearts and minds.
Arabian areas, run down, crime ridden, politically radicalised:The satellite dish, the internet, and the minaret maintain the distinct segregation from society of these foreign enclaves.The Muslim character of Overtoomseveld is
immediately apparent to the casual visitor. Women are more
visible on balconies (usually with small children) than on
the street, and nearly all wear headscarves. Arabic
language shop-window signs and graffiti -- much of it anti-
American -- are common.
The Dish:The minaret:The large number of satellite dishes, used to beam
in Arabic stations such as al Jazeera, have earned
Overtoomseveld the derogatory sobriquet of a dish city in
Dutch. Satellite television is cheaper than Dutch cable and
provides a direct link to the home cultures of many
immigrants, but many non-immigrant Dutch criticize the
prevalence of satellite broadcasting as insulating immigrant
communities from mainstream Dutch culture and encouraging
segregation.
The internet:The neighborhood's one Moroccan mosque plays a
critical role in satisfying residents' spiritual and
cultural needs.
The mosque has a food store and
classrooms for the 100 children aged 6-12 attending Arabic
and Koran classes on weekends. Like elsewhere in the
Netherlands, the imam speaks little Dutch and was imported
from Morocco.
And the whole system is maintained and paid for by the indigenous taxpayer. From very extensive policing and social efforts, to the state being a significant source of income:During non-school hours, groups of young men and
boys hang out on the neighborhood's streets and stoops with
little to do. As a result, incidents of petty crime and
vandalism are high. During a recent visit by Emboffs,
several groups of young boys were gathered outside two
neighborhood internet cafes. According to local contacts,
one of these cafes -- across from a police station -- had
earlier been used by members of the extremist Hofstad
group, including Bouyeri. [Who murdered Van Gogh]
http://213.251.145.96/cable/2005/11/05THEHAGUE3008.html
Within Amsterdam's Moroccan community, it is common
for large extended families to share small rental
apartments, creating additional strains on the poorly
constructed structures. The government subsidizes most of
the council housing in the neighborhood, and is a
significant source of income through the provision of
unemployment, rent support and social welfare benefits.
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