Berkley Center

In this event, Dutch journalist Geert Mak discussed religious changes in the Netherlands. Over the last several years he has argued forcefully that a politics of fear has caused increased polarization and racism between Muslim immigrants and the Dutch. As Mak put it in a recent article of NRC Handelsblad: "The time has come to face reality and to stand up for our liberties and constitutional rights. It's time to dust off the citizens' courage of old. But this also means, we need to, rather soberly and concretely, roll up our sleeves to teach and learn real tolerance and its inherent conflicts. We need to reassess our national heritage and figure out which (national) qualities we need to preserve and hand these down, whatever the price. There is only one way out and that is hope [not fear]. We have no alternative."