A number of Dutch schools refrain from teaching about the Holocaust
because of resistance from Muslim pupils, teachers told lawmakers.
The centrist Christian Union party held a roundtable discussion about
Holocaust education with teachers and other professionals Wednesday in
parliament in The Hague.
“Holocaust survivor Bloeme Evers does not dare give guest lessons in
some schools,” Arie Slob, the party’s parliamentary leader and a former history
teacher, told the daily , describing the discussion. “I am horrified by this.
It is unacceptable that 70 years after the Holocaust, antisemitism in the
Netherlands is growing.”
Among the teachers in attendance was Wissam Feriani, a social studies
teacher who works at a vocational high school in Amsterdam where approximately
half of the students are Muslim.
“The teacher says Jews, the pupils say Gaza,” said Feriani, who is
Muslim. “The teacher says Holocaust, the pupils say it’s all bullshit.” In
class, he adds, “It’s always the Jews’ fault. Some pupils say they [Jews] don’t
belong. It’s difficult.” There are no available figures on the difficulties
examined, the report said.
