By Laura O’Callaghan
Express, 9 February 2019
Joram van Klaveren made the shock conversion in October after spending four years criticising the religion when he served as one of the leading men in the Dutch far-right Party of Freedom (PVV). Having set out to write an anti-Islam book, determined to show how the religion incites violence, encourages contempt of women, and justifies attacks on Jews and homosexuals, Mr van Klaveren’s search forced him to change his views. The 40-year-old made a U-turn half way through his research, saying he came across “things that made my view on Islam falter”, and instead decided to write a book about his unconventional journey to the religion.
In an interview ties IslamiCity.org, Mr van Klaveren, who was raised in a Reformed Protestant home, admitted his mother was “not very happy” about him switching faiths but said his wife had come to terms with it.
He said: “My wife accepts that I am Muslim.
“Incidentally, she never felt the repugnance I felt for Islam. She was not so happy that I was with the PVV. But it is your journey, she said.
“She does not feel the need to go with that. My daughters are still too young to talk about this.”
In 2014 the lawmaker announced he was leaving the PVV as he no longer agreed with its course.
Controversial comments made by the party’s leader Geert Wilders are believed to have played a part in his decision.
Mr Wilders, an anti-Islam populist, had asked supporters whether they wanted “fewer or more Moroccans in your city and the Netherlands”, saying they turned the streets into unsafe places.
Mr Wilders seemed surprised to hear about his ex-ally’s conversion which he likened to a “vegetarian going to work in a slaughterhouse”.
During his time with the PVV, Mr van Klaveren referred to Islam as an ideology of terror, death and destruction.
After quitting the party, he continued to serve as an independent MP and in May 2014 he and two others founded a news conservative party called For the Netherland (VNL). His tern in the House ended in March 2017.
He said he does not plan on changing his name, as many converts to Islam do, and acknowledges that many Muslims in the Netherlands may not immediately jump to celebrate his conversion or even support his change of mind.
"I did not do this for Muslims, I did this for myself,” he added.
The former politician denied that his religious conversion was linked with swapping sides on the political spectrum, insisting he is still a conservative.
Image: Joram van Klaveren (Image: GETTY)
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