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11/1 Jurists want to stay in Oudemanhuispoort

8/2 Mayor’s portrait

8/2 Websites for social cohesion

7/2 Spreading tourism proceeds with difficulty

7/2 GroenLinks on districts: Be a man

6/2 Zuideramstel opens new office on Sabbath

5/2 The truth about integration

4/2 Wilders has little support on Amsterdam

3/2 Elite involved in neighbourhood

2/2 Johnnie Walker avoids taxes in Amsterdam

1/2 Rotterdam to tinker with district councils as well

31/1 Wooden rowing boats to disappear from Amstel

31/1 ZeeburgTV launched

27/1 Privacy activists to mess up loyalty card system

27/1 A few were still coughing, but that was an act

27/1 Chrisis in de Baarsjes

26/1 Youth have positive view of districts

24/1 Action groups call for Carmel and Jaffa boycott

24/1 PvdA members dismiss plan for districts

23/1 KLM takes on crisis with new uniform

23/1 District office not squatted

21/1 Merge districts

20/1 Closing squat bar Vrankrijk not necessary

20/1 Cleaners welcome new Schiphol director

18/1 Palestine at the Jewish Historical Museum

18/1 What is the right size for a district?

17/1 PvdA Oost against fewer districts

16/1 Committee: 7 districts by 2010

15/1 Soldiers may attend Afghanistan debate after all

15/1 Bait bike leads to arrest

14/1 Youth for Christ to republish vacancies

13/1 Paintings of the Zuidas

13/1 New Youth for Christ contoversy

11/1 Social cohesion initiative raises eyebrows

10/1 Fewer districts in 2010

10/1 Zuidas: People feel that we are losers

9/1 Fun on the ice - but not for all

9/1 Supermarket coupon fraud thwarted

9/1 I Amsterdam must remain exclusive

8/1 Use term Apartheid in every discussion

8/1 No city kiosk in Amsterdam yet

7/1 Snow

7/1 Fatima Elatik to run Zeeburg

7/1 Municipal managers to return to shop floor

4/1 Police: take photo of strange people

3/1 Gaza protest criticises politicians

1/1 Thousands to protest against attacks on Gaza

1/1 Mustapha Laboui leaves district council

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Mosque: mayor interferes

13 February 2007 - Mayor Job Cohen interferes to solve the problems surrounding the construction of the Westermoskee mosque in de Baarsjes. District chairman Arco Verburg did not face serious political problems tonight, but he will be kept on a short leash by his own PvdA (Social-Democrats).

Initiator Milli Görüs secretly signed a protocol saying that the mosque will become the property of the conservative German umbrella organisation. Verburg was confronted with this protocol by a journalist on 22 January, but did not inform the council.

Housing corporation Het Oosten, which is a participant in the project, threatened to suspend its collaboration with Milli Görüs. It only wants to do business with a progressive organisation. The two organisations have agreed to resume talks though.

Last week, Green Party GroenLinks asked Mayor Cohen to interfere, because of the importance of the project. During a meeting of the district council tonight, it became clear that he has indeed presided over meetings of Verburg, Het Oosten and Milli Görüs.

During the coming weeks, Arthur Verdellen, an official responsible for promoting social cohesion, will investigate what solutions may get the support of the parties involved. He will report to both Cohen and Verburg, by the end of last week at the latest.

The Conservative VVD and his own PvdA indicated that they will keep Verburg on a short leash. He may not take any initiatives during the coming weeks. When Verdellen’s investigation is finished, he will have to return to the district council to ask permission for further talks with Milli Görüs, PvdA party leader Martijn de Keizer said.

GroenLinks and Liberal-Democrat D66 said that developments within the Turkish community should not cause panic. German interference is undesirable, but one should not forget that the Vatican also interferes with Roman Catholics in the Netherlands, GroenLinks party leader Coos Hoebe pointed out.

See also: Mayor must save controversial mosque

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