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The Netherlands
The Netherlands has been a long- time champion of cultural tolerance, but 
the Dutch liberal attitude as a tolerant and welcoming country was severely 
challenged by the murder of Pim Fortuyn, who set up the Livable Rotterdam 
Party, which was based on policies against immigration and multiculturalism. 
He believed that the country could not cope with more immigrants. ‘Holland 
is full’, he said and emphasized the growing potential problem of assimilation 
in the large cities. Growing concern has arisen over the number of people of 
ethnic minority origin, mostly from Turkey or Morocco, or the former colo-
nies, particularly in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, where newcomers 
already outnumber the native Dutch among the under twenties. The Dutch, 
like the Germans, had welcomed ‘guest workers’ into their country to meet 
the need for labour and had allowed them to remain even after the slump 
that followed the 1973 oil crisis. The Dutch policy was to create a tolerant, 
multicultural society where cultural differences were accepted and, indeed, 
appreciated. The Dutch government helped to fund mosques, religious schools 
and language courses, as well as providing generous housing assistance.

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Multiculturalism and Diversity 203
The situation in the Netherlands has now changed, with increased opposition 
to the policy of multiculturalism, and there is the danger of a clash of cultures. 
This is accentuated by the fact that ethnic minorities account for 40 per cent 
of social security aid and make up a larger proportion of the unemployed. In 
October 2005, the Dutch government issued proposals to ban the wearing of 
the burqa, worn by only a minority of Dutch Muslims. The government had 
already introduced Dutch language and culture classes for immigrants, who 
were encouraged to observe the country’s liberal values. Many Dutch people 
have become concerned that a small country of 16 million inhabitants now 
has over 1.5 million immigrants amongst its population.
Belgium
Modern Belgium inherited a form of multicultural society from its colonial 
days. The state has now reformed itself by granting greater regional and 
community autonomy. However, in effect, a linguistic border still exists 
between Flanders and Wallonia, with Brussels as the autonomous, bilingual 
capital. The main problem still remains, namely the recurrent polarization 
of issues between the two communities and their lack of cultural exchange 
in the past. Some argue that the emphasis of multiculturalism on the pro-
motion of each community’s differences actually impedes social interaction 
between them, thus causing a degree of alienation.