Arnoud van Doorn

Arnoud van Doorn is a former far-right politician from the anti-islamic Dutch Freedom Party (PVV) of Geert Wilders.[1] In December 2011, the party broke with Van Doorn, because of the "mistakes he made with the budget."[2] He decided to become a Muslim a few years later, after learning about the teachings of Islam.[3] Until May 2014, he served as a member of The Hague City Council for the PvdE, a political party based on Islam. At the moment he is President of the European Dawah Foundation, and Ambassador of Celebrity Relations for the Canadian Dawah Association in Europe. He is a Member of the Board and Official Representative for the PvdE in the city council of The Hague.

In February 2014 Van Doorn was sentenced to pay a fine on leaking secret documents to the press, possession of an illegal flare gun, and for selling soft drugs to minors, in 2014 it was raised to an extra 240 hours of community service. Van Doorn claimed to have sold the soft drugs in order to catch a drug dealer, although the judge called his explanation "very implausable".[4]

Conversion to Islam

Van Doorn announced his conversion to Islam in April 2012. Soon after, he performed Hajj to Saudi Arabia and visited the Prophet's Mosque to deliver an apology and show remorse before the scholars there for his involvement in an attempt to spread hatred against Islam.[5] He said that the overwhelming reaction of Muslims around the world against the film Fitna, made him interested to learn more that led to his decision to convert to Islam.[6] He stated, "Right now I am still feeling regret for having distributed the film. I have a responsibility to correct the mistakes that I've done in the past." Later his eldest son, Iskander Amien De Vrie,[7] followed him in converting to Islam in 2014 after seeing his father becoming more peaceful and making progressive changes since embracing Islam.[8][9]

Manifestations of anti-Semitism

According to various publishers, including Esther Voet, editor of the New Israelite Weekly and deputy editor of the site Jalta.nl, Leon Verdonschot, columnist for the Nieuwe Revu, said Van Doorn is anti-Semitic, after a tweet of Van Doorn on the internet. Van Doorn denied it was anti-Semitism.[10][11]

References

  1. ↑ "Arnoud van Doorn: from anti-Islamic film-maker to hajj pilgrim". The Guardian UK. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  2. ↑ (Dutch)Haagse PVV breekt met raadslid, Binnenlands Bestuur, 14 December 2011
  3. ↑ "From Wilders to Muhammad: Former Freedom Party vice-chairman converts to Islam". The Amsterdam Herald. 1 March 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  4. ↑ (Dutch)Werkstraf en boete voor raadslid Arnoud van Doorn, 14 February 2014, Algemeen Dagblad
  5. ↑ "Former Anti-Islam Film-Maker, Arnoud Van Doorn, Peforms [sic] Hajj After Becoming Muslim". Huffington Post UK. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  6. ↑ "‘I am sorry, O Prophet…’". Saudi Gazette. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  7. ↑ MUHAMMAD JAWED (25 April 2014). "Van Doorn’s son embraces Islam". Arab News. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "Van Doorn's son embraces Islam". Arabnews.com. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  9. ↑ "Son of distributor of anti-Islam film accepts Islam". Khaleejtimes.com. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  10. ↑ http://denhaagfm.nl/2015/08/17/esther-voet-gemeenteraadslid-arnoud-van-doorn-is-een-antisemiet/
  11. ↑ http://revu.nl/columns-2/arnoud-van-doorn-is-een-smerige-antisemiet/
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