Islamophobia in the Netherlands: Semi-Structured Interviews with Implementers of Polarization and Radicalization Action Plan 2007-2011

Sammanfattning: Islamophobia has been on the in many countries in the past decade. However, not much research has been done on solutions to decrease it. This thesis is a case study of the Dutch Polarization and Radicalization Action Plan (PRAP) projects implemented during 2007-2011. The study was done through qualitative semi-structured interviews with some of the practitioners who implemented the projects budgeted under the PRAP, in order to see how effective the implementations and impacts of the program have been in countering Islamophobia, as experienced by the practitioners. It is not only important to see whether the government project fulfills the targets the government set itself, i.e countering polarization and radicalization, but also whether the project has actually focussed on diminished Islamophobic sentiments in the Netherlands. This thesis is based on original research and less widely used qualitative methods to measure the impact of a public policy. Research on policy impact and implementation in the Netherlands is mostly rooted in a quantitative approach, but qualitative methods are just as important. The research for this thesis was therefore conducted through semi-structured interviews and qualitative thematic analysis, as this could help in gaining insight into the experience of practitioners who had direct contact with the target groups. The research was conducted by interviewing practitioners in NGOs, municipalities, and semi-private organizations, and looks into the question whether ideas on integration had any influence on how the PRAP projects were set and executed. The interview-data have been further analyzed using theories behind integration policies: multiculturalism, liberal toleration, and assimilationist theories. This has been done in order to see which of these theories have had an underlying effect on the projects of each interviewed practitioner group. The research shows that Islamophobia has been neglected as an important element that can cause polarization. Furthermore, it shows that most of the policies are one-sided and/or top-down policies trying to force migrants into a mainstream idea of a national identity, instead of taking each parties’ grievances as equally valid. It is concluded that elements of fear of the ‘other’ and the ‘us’ versus ‘them’ dichotomies are still visible within the underlying ideas behind the examined anti-polarization projects of PRAP. This thesis could inspire similar research in other countries where Islamophobia is present, to see what success government policies have had on diminishing Islamophobia.