Chief imam Azzedine Karrat and Nourdin El Ouali of the Islamic platform SPIOR do not understand the riots that erupted in the Netherlands on Sunday after Morocco won a World Cup match. They ask Muslim organizations to correct the youth.
After Morocco’s victory over Belgium, Morocco’s fans in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam caused serious riots. Among other things, fireworks and glass were thrown at police officers and burnt cars. Two officers were injured.
“Young people more prone to riots after the pandemic”
“Riots have broken out in several cities, and I see a pattern in that. It’s not the first time this has happened, and it won’t be the last,” sighs Imam Karrat. Until two years ago he was imam of one of the largest mosques in the Netherlands, the Essalam mosque south of Rotterdam.
- Azzedine Karrat is imam, spreker en ondernemer. Hij spreekt onder andere in het Islamitisch Cultureel Centrum Leidsche Rijn. In 2021 richtte hij de IslamOmroep op die zich inzet voor onderwijs, het tonen van succes onder moslims en het bieden van weerwoord op aantijgingen tegen de islam en moslims.
He observes that after the pandemic some young people are more prone to riots than before. In certain neighborhoods he sees that there are bicultural young people who are unable to get the most out of their lives. They express their anger and frustration on the street. “But this is not a license to riot, use violence and destroy other people’s property,” she says.
“Incomprehensible after such a beautiful game”
Nourdin El Ouali agrees with the imam. He is director of the Stichting Platform Islamic Organizations Rijnmond (SPIOR). “This behavior is unacceptable. What I fail to understand is how this behavior can arise after a great football match and a festive victory. I wonder what would have happened if Morocco had lost,” he says.
El Ouali believes that Muslim organizations should help young people by indicating rules of conduct to prevent situations like this. “We as a community have a responsibility in this. Football organizations also do everything they can to protect supporters from rioters and violent offenders. That’s why we will have to do everything we can to protect our community from the small group that ruins it for the rest.” He notes that many elderly Moroccans react with horror to what happened on Sunday.
“What happened is serious. It should be taken seriously. People who have committed crimes should be treated harshly,” says Karrat. From his role as an educator, the imam felt compelled to tell the troublemakers about their behavior. So he took one video message in which he addressed young people. With this he hopes to reach the rioters through the parents and young people of his network.
“This maintains the negative image”
Karrat’s video has been viewed thousands of times on social media channels and received a lot of backlash. Among other Dutch Muslims who share his frustrations. “I am aware of the prejudices and negative images that surround young Moroccans, as well as other people of Islamic origin. That’s why it’s important to separate these events from someone’s religion or cultural background,” he says. “This has nothing to do with religion, but with street culture.”
At the same time, he believes that young people of Islamic origin should be more aware of their faith and their position in society. “Precisely because they know that Muslims are often portrayed in a bad light, they shouldn’t give the media and other institutions a reason to make the situation worse.”
Karrat emphatically places the responsibility on the youth themselves. He resents people who use riots for their own gain: “Ultimately, it’s a social problem where we all have a responsibility to do what’s in our power,” he continues. “But you see some politicians and the media are using events like this to sideline a whole group of people who are doing their best to contribute to society. And they need to stop doing that, because that’s not how you approach the problem.”
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