Dutch slap cuffs on race-hate rappers

Zero tolerance to Internet incitement

By Jan Libbenga • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 7th July 2004 13:48 GMT

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The Centre of Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI) yesterday lodged a police complaint against the makers of a song that uses racist language against Jews, homosexuals and Amsterdam soccer team Ajax. The song, recorded by supporters of the Rotterdam football team Feyenoord under the name of Sluipschutters (Snipers), was released through the peer-to-peer file sharing service Kazaa.

The complaints were filed just three days after the arrest of three members of another Dutch racist rap group DHC. In a song that was released on the Internet, the group attacked Dutch Liberal MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali for her outspoken political views. The slender Somali refugee has become a leading voice in condemning the Dutch government's support for multiculturalism, programmes that she considers misplaced because they keep Muslim women isolated from society.

The lawyer for the three suspects said the hate song was recorded privately, and never intended to be published.

The arrests are a clear sign of a zero tolerance policy towards violently-racist rap music. Last year, members of the Dutch House of Parliament expressed outrage when the Prosecutor decided not to file charges, following a complaint by CIDI against racist rap group called NAG (New Allochtonous Generation). ®