Freedom Is Something We Share Together: Motion by Becker

The recent motion by Becker (Dutch member of the Parliament) to investigate Dutch citizens with a migration background regarding their religious beliefs is a step in a dangerous direction. Distinguishing people based on color, origin, religion, or non-religion contradicts fundamental human rights. As Martin Luther King Jr. once powerfully stated: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Becker’s motion does the exact opposite: judging first by background, then by actions.

We should be deeply concerned about these developments, which bear an unsettling resemblance to Europe in the 1930s. Fascism back then began by labeling people as “different” — at that time, primarily Jewish people. Now, this stigmatization seems directed at all Dutch citizens with a migration background. It is a process: first tarnishing a group through populist propaganda, labeling and accusing them, then systematically separating them — and who knows what follows after that?

As Martin Luther King Jr. once powerfully stated: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Becker’s motion does the exact opposite: judging first by background, then by actions.

What we are witnessing is the selective memory of Western countries, particularly in Western Europe. For decades, they have lectured the world about democracy, criticizing, pressuring, and even trying to impose democracy on other nations. But they seem to forget what they themselves have done in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Colonial exploitation, slavery, oppression, and regional interferences have left deep wounds that remain unhealed to this day. No wonder someone once said: “We are here because you were there.” And now, these people are seen as a burden, subject to investigations.

Those who speak of democracy and freedom must uphold those values. Hiding fear of the “other” behind scientific research is not the way forward. Let us not be divided by religious beliefs or cultural background. Jew, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, someone without religion, or someone from the LGBTQ+ community — freedom is something we share together. If a Jew cannot wear their kippah, a Muslim woman cannot wear her hijab, or someone from the LGBTQ+ community does not feel free to wear a rainbow armband, be assured that the day may come when I, too, cannot hold my Bible or wear a cross. Freedom is not just for yourself; it is for everyone.

Freedom is not just for oneself; it is for everyone. We must stand in solidarity with each other, including atheists and agnostics. A small group of fanatics or fundamentalists must not dictate how we see one another. Let us celebrate freedom together and show the world that division is not our path — connection is. Because freedom is something we collectively carry and protect.