VZCZCXRO6494
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ
DE RUEHTC #0406/01 0541250
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231250Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4912
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHAT/AMCONSUL AMSTERDAM 0414

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 000406 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/UBI 
 
USDOC FOR 4212/USFCS/MAC/EUR/OWE/DCALVERT 
USDOC FOR 3133/USFCS/OIO/JBREIDENSTEIN/PBUCHER 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ECON SOCI PHUM PREL PGOV KISL PINR NL
SUBJECT: REACHING OUT TO THE DUTCH MUSLIM BUSINESS 
COMMUNITY 
 
REF: A) 05 THE HAGUE 2993 
 
     B) THE HAGUE 141 
     C) THE HAGUE 228 
     D) THE HAGUE 402 
 
THE HAGUE 00000406  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. 
PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY.  An Embassy lunch with members 
of the Dutch Muslim business community on February 
8 succeeded in launching a constructive dialogue 
on discrimination in Dutch employment practices, 
unemployment among young ethnic Muslims, and the 
pros and cons of membership in ethnic business 
associations.  As a follow-on, the Mission is 
bringing together a group to discuss internship 
opportunities for ethnic Muslim youth.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  On February 8, the Charge hosted a lunch with 
guests representing a broad spectrum of the Muslim business 
community (ethnic Turks, Moroccans, Afghans, and Surinamese) 
as well as "native" Dutch participants from a youth 
employment organization, a knowledge network for integration 
policy, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MEA), and the 
American Chamber of Commerce. 
 
OVERCOMING WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Emin Ates, an ethnic Turk and General Manager of 
International Sales at RICOH Europe, opened the discussion 
by calling for a frank discussion of employment 
discrimination issues.  With unemployment among ethnic 
Muslim youths estimated between 24 and 40 percent (see ref A 
and B), the time had come for immediate action.  Dutch 
companies continued to "play it safe" by hiring only those 
with Dutch origins, after pointing to a lack of language 
skill as the primary reason.  If non-English speaking 
immigrants can find jobs in the U.S., a lack of language 
skills should no longer be used as an excuse for denying 
jobs to ethnic Muslims in the Netherlands, he said. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Nathaly Mercera, an ethnic Surinamese and Project 
Manager of Importante (a women's empowerment foundation) 
said discrimination had become more acute recently in the 
Netherlands.  Even well-educated ethnic minorities were 
having problems finding jobs.  Margo Groenewoud, a "native" 
Dutch and Program Leader of the Dutch Knowledge Network for 
Integration Policy and Ethnic Minorities, agreed that people 
should be judged by their qualifications and not their 
ethnic backgrounds.  Rahma el Mouden, an ethnic Moroccan and 
Director of MAS Dienstverleners (an office cleaning service 
company), accused Dutch companies of distorting the truth 
when they claimed not to be able to find educated ethnic 
minorities for employment.  Such candidates clearly existed. 
Moreover, the Dutch government continued to set a bad 
example by not seeking out and hiring more ethnic 
minorities, she said. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Tjark de Lange, a "native" Dutch and Chairman of 
Exchange Young Executives (EYE) and former Chairman of Young 
Management at VNO-NCW (employers' association), suggested 
the practice of identifying ethnic groups by their country 
of origin rather than their Dutch nationality only 
exasperated the problem.  A separation of business 
organizations along ethnic lines further defined these 
distinctions.  El Mouden, the ethnic Moroccan, countered 
that ethnic business organizations were currently needed to 
teach ethnic businesses the way into established Dutch 
business networks/circles. 
 
INTEGRATION VERSUS ASSIMILATION 
------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Maritza Russel, an ethnic Surinamese and Chair of 
the Black Business Women's Association worried that "us 
versus them" distinctions had hardened following 9/11. 
Ahmet Taskan, an ethnic Turk and Managing Director of 
Annifer (a Turkish business association), suggested that it 
was better to accept differences than pursue a policy of 
assimilation.  Hatim Chebti, an ethnic Moroccan and 
consultant to Mex-IT (Advisors for Intercultural 
 
THE HAGUE 00000406  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Management), predicted integration would never happen so 
long as ethnic groups continued to attend different schools 
and to work and live separately. 
 
LOOKING TO THE U.S. 
------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Integration had become a global reality, noted El 
Mouden, and the Netherlands and other countries could learn 
from steps taken by the U.S. in response to its Civil Rights 
Movement in the 1960s.  The Charge explained that the U.S. 
legal framework in this area was strict and had taken time 
to develop.  The guests appreciated the Commercial Attache's 
comment that she was an 'American first' and a 'African 
American' second. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Jules Kortenhorst, President of International 
Operations at ClientLogic and American Chamber of Commerce 
Board Member, asked whether there might be a need for 
"Affirmative Action" legislation in the Netherlands.  Such 
measures had existed in the past, Russel noted, and perhaps 
should be considered again.  The key, Mercera stressed, 
would be how such measures were implemented. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  De Lange cautioned that positive discrimination 
could not be forced, as companies want to hire the best. 
Ates suggested that an easing of employment regulations, 
including the ability to fire employees, might be another 
way to address this problem.  Most participants agreed that 
strict employment protection legislation for permanent 
workers in the Netherlands made it difficult for new 
workers, including ethnic minorities, to gain entry into the 
workforce. 
 
INTERNSHIPS - OFFERING YOUTHS A FAIR CHANCE 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  Ates continued that ethnic Muslims must be 
offered a fair chance to compete in the Dutch workforce.  He 
noted that his local Lions Club was looking at possible 
projects to help minority youths gain work experience.  Kaya 
Turan Kocak, an ethnic Turk and Project Manager for Turkish 
Business Outreach at Rabobank in Eindhoven, agreed that 
businesses should take an active role in working with the 
government to find solutions.  As an example, he noted 
Rabobank's work with programs offering work internships for 
ethnic Muslim youths at various business locations in 
Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven.  Marko Pater, 
a "native" Dutch and Policy Advisor on developing Turkish 
business opportunities, MEA, explained that his ministry had 
a policy of offering internships to all qualified 
candidates.  The Charge and Commercial Attache welcomed 
further dialogue on how to advance these and Mission efforts 
to provide internship opportunities for ethnic Muslim 
youths. 
 
FOLLOW-ON OUTREACH ACTIONS 
-------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  This was the third in a series of themed lunches 
aimed at increasing the Mission's outreach to and 
understanding of the Dutch Muslim community.  The lunch also 
served as an immediate follow-on to Emboffs' meetings with 
various representatives of the Muslim business community 
over the last few months (ref D).  Past lunches covered 
media (ref C) and education issues (septel).  Future lunches 
will cover Muslim participation in the Dutch political 
process, foreign policy/global outreach, Imam training, the 
development of Muslim entrepreneurs and business 
opportunities, Muslim Women's business issues, and Muslim 
women's issues in general. 
 
¶12.  (SBU)  As a direct follow-on to this lunch, the Mission 
will bring together a smaller group to share information and 
experiences regarding efforts to offer internships to ethnic 
Muslim youth.  Contacts developed through these meetings and 
meetings with the ethnic Muslim business community can serve 
as interlocutors for future trade missions and visitors. 
 
BLAKEMAN