Ahmed Aboutaleb
Ahmed Aboutaleb
Ahmed Aboutaleb is a Dutch-Moroccan politician and has been the mayor of Rotterdam since January 5, 2009. He is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party and served as State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment from 2007 until 2008 in the Cabinet Balkenende IV, the Dutch coalition cabinet named after Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. He is well known, and has, therefore, faced many threats, as he is the first mayor of a major city in the Netherlands who is Moroccan, Muslim and of immigrant descent. In addition he is a dual citizen (of Morocco and the Netherlands) and a practicing Muslim.
Aboutaleb was born on August 29, 1961 in Beni Sidel, Morocco. In 1976, he moved to the Netherlands where he studied electrical engineering and telecommunications. He then worked as a reporter for Veronica, NOS-radio and RTL Nieuws. Later, he worked at the public relations department of the Dutch health ministry.
In 1998, Aboutaleb became the director of the Forum organization, which is directly related to multiculturalism in Dutch society. In January 2004, Aboutaleb became the alderman of Amsterdam, which drew criticism from politician Geert Wilders for holding dual citizenship while holding a government position. He has since been appointed mayor of Rotterdam, the first of immigrant (Moroccan Berber) descent and first Muslim mayor of a major Dutch city. After Queen Beatrix confirmed the appointment, Aboutaleb took office in January 2009.
Aboutaleb’s safety is considered a national security issue. After Theo van Gogh’s murder, the police arrested two suspects who were believed to have planned an attack on four Dutch politicians, including Aboutaleb. Ahmed Aboutaleb and Job Cohen, Amsterdam’s mayor, were clear targets. A letter similar to the one found near van Gogh’s dead body appeared on the Internet. It accused Aboutaleb of being a “stubborn unbeliever,” “heretic” and an adherent of the doctrine of the separation of church and state (secularism). Though this information is speculated, and has no real evidence to support it, journalists find more reason to believe a group of Muslim terrorists exists.
