Dutch State Visit to Oman: January 10-12, 2012

[Marengo]

It has been the main item on the news today, and the last days actually. HM really took a stand today when she poke to the press. When asked about the matter she gave a big sigh. She was also asked if she thought that a headscarf was a ign of oppression of women. HM called it 'utter nonsense'.

IMHO the prime minister has been neglecting his duty, since he is responsible for the matter hé needs to react to Geert Wilders (the leader of the extreme right party who has been critisizing the issue).

----

Now something completely different: it seems that only 21 people attended the concert offered by HM. The sultan doesn't like larger gatherings.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Marengo

It has been the main item on the news today, and the last days actually. HM really took a stand today when she poke to the press. When asked about the matter she gave a big sigh. She was also asked if she thought that a headscarf was a ign of oppression of women. HM called it 'utter nonsense'.

IMHO the prime minister has been neglecting his duty, since he is responsible for the matter hé needs to react to Geert Wilders (the leader of the extreme right party who has been critisizing the issue).

----

Now something completely different: it seems that only 21 people attended the concert offered by HM. The sultan doesn't like larger gatherings.

True.It is unusual for HM the Sultan to attend concerts in public,so this concert en petit committé was organised at the Palace for him and members of his family.The program was to the taste of the Monarch who is an accomplished musician himself.And by bringing that perticular orchestra along HM again made a statement as the orchestra faces to be desolved due to lack of government subsidies in cuts on art etc etc...HM thus made it very clear she opposes that and thinks they deserve a chance...

On the hullabaloo...HM is right,but so are you as I agree Mark Rutte should have replied to the non-issue immediatly while HM was still in Abu Dhabi.But Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal ( a "Mr. so so" in my view,and the weakest link.. ).. did...alas to no avail at the time...people want to see hear the PM taking a stand immediatly in cases like this.By replying as she did yesterday she made that clear to him,reminding him,teaching him the works...

And also Marengo,someone,some jerk,being the chief-editor of Dutch news agency ANP,messed up and manipulated a report by Hans Jacobs of Royalblog that caused this hullabaloo,Something went wrong when the chief editor of ANP abused Hans's work to a fault so the message came across totally wrong....Clabber that ANP editor in chief...He turned HM's words in a wrong perspective...Just gives a clue what hyped up bull**** newsgathering world we live in....

Meanwhile,HM and TRH have returned home about an hour ago.
Chapeau!

[Kasumi]

Queen Beatrix has been criticised by her country's anti-Muslim party after wearing headscarf on mosque visit | Mail Online
The popular monarch was responding to questions from reporters about parliamentary questions filed by anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders, who called the monarch's decision to cover her head on a visit to a mosque in Abu Dhabi on Sunday 'a sad exhibition' that 'legitimizes the oppression of women.'

Queen Beatrix of Netherlands defends decision to wear headscarf on state visit | World news | guardian.co.uk

BBC News - Dutch Queen Beatrix calls headscarf row 'nonsense'

[NGalitzine]

Queen Beatrix 1
Geert Wilders 0

[wartenberg7]

I wonder, if this was a state visit in Oman, why orders were only presented and not worn...?!

[Marika86]

Photogallery from "svenskdam"

Drottning Beatrix fick ett gott skratt i Oman | Svensk Damtidning

[Marengo]

A poll in the Volkskrant suggests that 79% approve of HM wearing the headscarf, and 77% approve of her voicing her comments'. So maybe that caused Geert Wilders to be silent the 2nd time around.

He has been criticising HM constantly btw, which is quite odd as traditionally you would expect criticism from the left wing parties. After the chirstmas speech of this year he suspected that HM is a secret member of the Green Left party (HM spoke about sustainability and such). But there has been many more examples. I guess it is part of his efforts to show that he is not part of the (political' elite and such.

Today the prime minister finally reacted to the hullaboo: he says that HM is right and that a head scarf doesn't need to be a sign of oppression of women. He also claimed that the arguments of the PVV party (who is a part of his own coalition government) is not making any sense.

Like the queen said in the press conference: what is there left to be surprised about these days? ... meaning that such a reaction of the PVV was to be expected. I am sure that Wilders & co will criticise any next visit to a mosque, green plant, chritmas speech etc etc.

[Grandduchess24]

I don't quite comprehend why the Dutch people are so bothered that Queen Beatrix wore a headscarf while in Oman

[sjetajiem]

Originally Posted by Grandduchess24

I don't quite comprehend why the Dutch people are so bothered that Queen Beatrix wore a headscarf while in Oman

Only a person from a special political party called PVV is bothered

[shrifia]

the Volkskrant poll show that the Dutch people don't have any problem with the Queen wearing the veil during her visit to the Mosque only Mr Wilders is bothered and if we know his opinion and views about Islam...well there is no surprise then,I am only surprised of his ability to create the polemic from nothing.

[ashelen]

I was wondering does the Quen and W fly together in the smae plane?

[lucien]

Originally Posted by wartenberg7

I wonder, if this was a state visit in Oman, why orders were only presented and not worn...?!

As that follows the custom in Oman.Here they would be worn,yes,there,no.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by ashelen

I was wondering does the Quen and W fly together in the smae plane?

Yes they do.No problem....we have plenty of back-ups...grin...Goid forbid!The Prince,a fully lixensed jet pilot,flew the F-70 KBX government aircraft himself from the UAE to Oman.Yesterday morning all returned on the same scheduled KLM flight.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by shrifia

the Volkskrant poll show that the Dutch people don't have any problem with the Queen wearing the veil during her visit to the Mosque only Mr Wilders is bothered and if we know his opinion and views about Islam...well there is no surprise then,I am only surprised of his ability to create the polemic from nothing.

The whole article by Hans Jacobs Royalblog was manipulated by the chief editor of dutch news agency ANP.No-one here is bothered by HM showing respect and knowing the rules.No-one,and I see a lot of people,no-one is bothered.Just that Mozart hairdo is.To start a polymic is as easy as one two three in this crazed hyped-up over nothing & nonsense world,yes,true....just look at some of the threads here to start with...grin...

Besides,if anyone wants to visit,fe,Saint Peter Basilica in the Vatican women are requested to have their arms covered and don't walk in in a bikini or shorts.To show respect is more and more of a rare commodity apparently.Certainly to W.

Video of the first evening in Oman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pl_g...ature=youtu.be

[marine2109]

Princess Maxima striking the end of the stay in the Arabian Peninsula

La princesse Maxima éclatante pour la fin du séjour dans la péninsule arabique

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