Minister Stef Blok (Foreign Affairs) made statements in a private meeting about ethnicity and multicultural societies. For example, the VVD minister said that he does not know a peaceful multicultural society and that it is genetically determined that man does not bind himself to "unknown people".
"Give me an example of a multi-ethnic or multicultural society, where the original population still lives (....) and where there is [a]peace[ful society], I do not know one", he said last Tuesday during a meeting with Dutch people who work for international organizations.
Blok talked to them about xenophobia, among other things. The recordings are in the hands of Zembla (Dutch news organization).
According to the minister, every society knows the boundaries when it comes to including migrants. He calls it "very nice" to have a Turkish baker around the corner, but adds that you can get "some side effects". "If you live in the middle of it, you will suffer enormously," according to Blok.
Blok then draws the conclusion that it is genetically determined that groups of people can not get along with each other.
"Probably somewhere deep in our genes is that we want to have a well-organized group to hunt along or to maintain a village and that we are not able to connect with people unknown to us."
If one of those present in the hall notes that Suriname is an example of a peaceful multicultural society, Blok responds with the comment that Suriname is a failed state, partly because the political parties in the country are divided along ethnic lines.
Singapore is not a good example, according to Blok. "Singapore is indeed a mini-island, extremely selective in its migration. (...) They do not allow poor migrants, yes, possibly for cleaning."
SP Member of Parliament Sadet Karabulut finds Blok's statements unworthy for a Minister of Foreign Affairs. "This minister seriously does not go beyond that xenophobia is in the nature of people? That we can not live together and therefore a better world is impossible?" Karabulut demands that the minister take back his words.
PvdA member Lilianne Ploumen calls the remarks "very unprofessional". "I have been living in Amsterdam Nieuw-West for twenty years, where different people from different origins are making the best of each other, and if there are problems, we discuss them."
In the parliamentary questions she [Ploumen] has submitted, she [Ploumen] wants to know whether the statements regarding Suriname and Singapore are government policy.
Blok has told Zembla in a reaction that his statements in the public debate can ''fall in the wrong direction'' (hard to translate, something like implying it gets ripped out of context but at the same time he feels guilty.)
I think this is very damaging for his imago and that he'll be either forced to make public apologies or to resign. This isn't the first fiasco for the VVD (liberal-conservative) party, a former FM lied about the MH17 affair and another minister for defense was responsible for a faulty mortar that killed two Dutch servicemen in Mali.
I also believe this will hurt the VVD image. What does NSG think? What would you do if your FM said this, and you were PM? I'd force him to make public apologies.
