Banks and monetary establishments within the Netherlands “structurally” discriminate in opposition to Muslims, mentioned the nationwide coordinator in opposition to discrimination and racism Rabin Baldewsingh on Friday.
This is especially the results of the legislation that’s supposed to forestall cash laundering and the financing of terrorism, the so-called Wwft.
Baldewsingh informed the Dutch every day Trouw on Thursday that he receives additional alerts from Muslims who had been discriminated in opposition to, particularly throughout Ramadan attributable to compulsory almsgiving in Islam and assortment of charity cash to assist the much less lucky. During this month, the cash is commonly raised in mosques and through iftars, a dinner to mark the breaking of the every day quick, to donate as zakat – a type of almsgiving and a pillar of Islam.
“Then they are bombarded by compliance departments of banks who designated them as suspects of money laundering or terrorism,” Baldewsingh mentioned. “Then they must demonstrate how they got that money before the transaction is processed.”
He known as for an investigation into this.
One of the situations the coordinator cited in Trouw considerations a business particular person whose surname is widespread in Pakistan and coincides with considered one of al-Qaida’s associates. On the funding utility for a brand new restaurant, he had to answer additional inquiries, he mentioned.
“As far as I am concerned, the Ministry of Finance must take responsibility. They impose this law on financial institutions, but it is used in an improper way,” he mentioned, urging the federal government to see how large the issue is and discuss to monetary establishments.
The “reporting point for victims of the profiling of banks,” arrange final yr by the Muslim Rights Watch Netherlands basis, obtained 105 studies earlier than the launch. The basis itself confronted discrimination by receiving a detrimental advice from Regiobank, the place it needed to open an account, claiming that “religious organizations do not fit the target group of the bank.”
The Wwft obliges banks to report “unusual” transactions, below a penalty of excessive fines. According to the Dutch Banking Association (NVB), discrimination is a no-go within the legislation’s implementation. “Ethnic, religious or other backgrounds of customers are not grounds for increased customer scrutiny,” the spokesperson informed Trouw.
Baldewsingh is “seriously concerned” concerning the results of institutional racism and discrimination affecting Dutch Muslim communities.
He cited analysis from the Social and Cultural Planning Office, which reported “chronic discrimination” skilled by Muslims in 2020. According to the analysis, 55% of Muslims expertise discrimination repeatedly, in comparison with 27% of the overall inhabitants. Baldewsingh emphasised that if we embody those that have doubts about whether or not they’re dealing with discrimination, the quantity rises to 69%.
Baldewsingh highlighted that 67% of spiritual discrimination studies made to the police in 2021 had been linked to Muslims. Furthermore, the determine was 65% for municipal provisions in opposition to discrimination.
“I’m shocked by these numbers,” Baldewsingh mentioned. “But I encounter a lot of indifference. Muslim discrimination is not punished. It follows that people drop out. Especially young Muslims. That must not happen, they are our future.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
