Ehsan Jami
Encyclopedia
Ehsan Jami is a Dutch
politician
of Iran
ian origin. From March 7, 2006 until November 6, 2007 he was member of the city council
of Leidschendam-Voorburg
on behalf of the Dutch Labour Party
(PvdA). From that date until 2010 he continued to be a member of the city council as independent member 'fraction Jami' . In 2007 he was one of the two founders of the former Central Committee for Ex-Muslims
.
, Iran
and was raised there. His father is a doctor
. His mother converted, later in her life, to Christianity
. As son of a doctor, Jami enjoyed substantial privileges in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In an interview, Jami stated: "My grandparents were Muslim, but my father was non-religious." Yet in a different interview, he described his father as Muslim. Political engagement by Jami's father forced the family to leave the country. Together with his parents and his older sister, the then nine year old Jami arrived in the Netherlands in 1994, later obtaining Dutch nationality
.
in the local elections of March 2006.
After 9/11 in 2001, Jami started reading the Qur'an
and Hadith
, after which he decided he was unsure about what he believed in and decided to leave the religion altogether. Elsevier, 23 June 2007. Together with Loubna Berrada
(founder of the Advisory Committee for Integration, part of the right-wing Liberal party), Jami founded the Central Committee for Ex-Muslims
in 2007. The organisation, supported by Afshin Ellian, aims to support apostates of Islam
. Berrada left the committee shortly after it was founded because she felt Jami challenged Islam itself too much, saying: "I don't wish to confront Islam itself. I only want to spread the message that Muslims should be allowed to leave Islam behind without being embarrassed"
On 4 August 2007, Jami was attacked in his hometown Voorburg
by three men because of his political involvement. The attack is widely believed to be linked to his activities for the committee. The national anti-terrorism coordinator's office, the public prosecution department and the police decided during a meeting on 6 August that "additional measures" were necessary for the protection of Jami who has subsequently received extra security.
In September 2007, he penned an op-ed together with PVV politician Geert Wilders
for the Dutch daily Volkskrant, likening the threat of Islam the rise of Adolf Hitler's National Socialism in the 1930s. It was a response to national terrorist coordinator Tjibbe Joustra's remarks in Algemeen Dagblad
, who criticized the tone used by some people in the discussion about Islam.
On October 4, 2007, Jami announced that he was working on a film project due to be released in February 2008 which he felt could be comparable in terms of controversy to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
. On 31 March 2008 he cancelled this project after being urged to do so by Dutch Minister of Justice
Ernst Hirsch Ballin
and threats from Iran.
However, after months of deliberation, Jami again decided to release the film. The short film was released on 9 December 2008 and may be viewed here. The announcement was followed by calls from European Islamic organizations for boycott of Dutch products. Dutch Premier Jan Peter Balkenende issued an apology for Jami's film.
After expressing strong opinions against Islam
, strong criticism of the PvdA, and comparing the Islamic Prophet Muhammad with Adolf Hitler
, he was asked to give up his council membership as part of the PvdA. By refusing to resign and continuing as an independent member, he lost his membership of PvdA.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian origin. From March 7, 2006 until November 6, 2007 he was member of the city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
of Leidschendam-Voorburg
Leidschendam-Voorburg
Leidschendam-Voorburg is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 73,832 in 2004, and covers an area of 35.68 km² of which 2.86 km² is water.-Origin:...
on behalf of the Dutch Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)
The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
(PvdA). From that date until 2010 he continued to be a member of the city council as independent member 'fraction Jami' . In 2007 he was one of the two founders of the former Central Committee for Ex-Muslims
Central Committee for Ex-Muslims
The Central Committee for Ex-Muslims was a Dutch committee that aimed to aid Muslims who wish to leave Islam through the constitutional right of freedom of religion...
.
Life
Ehsan Jami was born on April 20, 1985 in MashhadMashhad
Mashhad , is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world. It is also the only major Iranian city with an Arabic name. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Its...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and was raised there. His father is a doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
. His mother converted, later in her life, to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. As son of a doctor, Jami enjoyed substantial privileges in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In an interview, Jami stated: "My grandparents were Muslim, but my father was non-religious." Yet in a different interview, he described his father as Muslim. Political engagement by Jami's father forced the family to leave the country. Together with his parents and his older sister, the then nine year old Jami arrived in the Netherlands in 1994, later obtaining Dutch nationality
Dutch nationality law
Dutch nationality law is based primarily on the principle of Jus sanguinis and is governed by the Kingdom act regarding Dutch citizenship . Thus citizenship is conferred primarily by birth to a Dutch parent, irrespective of place of birth...
.
Career
Jami studied Management Science for one and a half year in the Netherlands and joined the Labour party as member in 2003. He was elected to the city council of Leidschendam-VoorburgLeidschendam-Voorburg
Leidschendam-Voorburg is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 73,832 in 2004, and covers an area of 35.68 km² of which 2.86 km² is water.-Origin:...
in the local elections of March 2006.
After 9/11 in 2001, Jami started reading the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
and Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
, after which he decided he was unsure about what he believed in and decided to leave the religion altogether. Elsevier, 23 June 2007. Together with Loubna Berrada
Loubna Berrada
Loubna Berrada is a Dutch liberal politician and founding and now former member of the Central Committee for Ex-Muslims. Berrada was raised in a Moroccan immigrant family strictly abiding by Islamic customs. In her twenties she rejected Islam, and the negative reactions to her apostasy made her...
(founder of the Advisory Committee for Integration, part of the right-wing Liberal party), Jami founded the Central Committee for Ex-Muslims
Central Committee for Ex-Muslims
The Central Committee for Ex-Muslims was a Dutch committee that aimed to aid Muslims who wish to leave Islam through the constitutional right of freedom of religion...
in 2007. The organisation, supported by Afshin Ellian, aims to support apostates of Islam
Apostasy in Islam
Apostasy in Islam is commonly defined in Islam as the rejection in word or deed of one's former religion by a person who was previously a follower of Islam...
. Berrada left the committee shortly after it was founded because she felt Jami challenged Islam itself too much, saying: "I don't wish to confront Islam itself. I only want to spread the message that Muslims should be allowed to leave Islam behind without being embarrassed"
On 4 August 2007, Jami was attacked in his hometown Voorburg
Voorburg
Voorburg is a Dutch town and former municipality in the western part of the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. As also Leidschendam and Stompwijk, it is part of the municipality Leidschendam-Voorburg. It has approximately 39,000 inhabitants....
by three men because of his political involvement. The attack is widely believed to be linked to his activities for the committee. The national anti-terrorism coordinator's office, the public prosecution department and the police decided during a meeting on 6 August that "additional measures" were necessary for the protection of Jami who has subsequently received extra security.
In September 2007, he penned an op-ed together with PVV politician Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders is a Dutch right-wing politician and leader of the Party for Freedom , the third-largest political party in the Netherlands. He is the Parliamentary group leader of his party in the Dutch House of Representatives...
for the Dutch daily Volkskrant, likening the threat of Islam the rise of Adolf Hitler's National Socialism in the 1930s. It was a response to national terrorist coordinator Tjibbe Joustra's remarks in Algemeen Dagblad
Algemeen Dagblad
The Algemeen Dagblad is a Dutch newspaper. Founded in Rotterdam in 1946, it currently has a daily circulation of 315,000. The newspaper is owned by AD NieuwsMedia, a joint venture between Wegener and PCM Uitgevers....
, who criticized the tone used by some people in the discussion about Islam.
On October 4, 2007, Jami announced that he was working on a film project due to be released in February 2008 which he felt could be comparable in terms of controversy to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
. On 31 March 2008 he cancelled this project after being urged to do so by Dutch Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice (Netherlands)
The Ministry of Security and Justice is the Dutch ministry of justice. Until 14 October 2010, the ministry was just called Ministry of Justice , but at the start of the Rutte cabinet, the name changed because it had taken over some public safety duties from the Ministry of the Interior...
Ernst Hirsch Ballin
Ernst Hirsch Ballin
Ernst Maurits Henricus Hirsch Ballin is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Minister of Justice and Minister for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs from November 7, 1989 until May 27, 1994 in the Cabinet Lubbers III...
and threats from Iran.
However, after months of deliberation, Jami again decided to release the film. The short film was released on 9 December 2008 and may be viewed here. The announcement was followed by calls from European Islamic organizations for boycott of Dutch products. Dutch Premier Jan Peter Balkenende issued an apology for Jami's film.
After expressing strong opinions against Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, strong criticism of the PvdA, and comparing the Islamic Prophet Muhammad with Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, he was asked to give up his council membership as part of the PvdA. By refusing to resign and continuing as an independent member, he lost his membership of PvdA.
Awards
On 4 March 2009 De Telegraaf reported that Jami would receive the Danish Free Press Award on 14 March 2009.Criticism
Co-founder Berrada quit the committee in June 2007 because she felt Jami acts too aggressively towards the entire religion of Islam, stating: "I don't wish to confront Islam itself. I only want to spread the message that Muslims should be allowed to leave Islam behind without being threatened" http://www.depers.nl/binnenland/71475/Oprichtster-stapt-voorlopig-uit-comit%C3%A9-ex-moslims.htmlExternal links
- Ehsan Jami at the Labour PartyLabour Party (Netherlands)The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
website - "Extra protection for ex-Muslim Jami", DutchNews.nl, August 7, 2007
- 'An Interview With Muhammed' - movie clip by Ehsan Jami