'Amsterdam' - tagged features

If you exercise your freedom of speech and in turn inspire extremists to threaten you, should the taxpayer fund your protection? Former Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been living under police protection since the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh. They made a film together that was critical of Islam's treatment of women. An Islamic extremist murdered Van Gogh on an Amsterdam street 3 years ago – he pinned a note to his body targeting Hirsi Ali by name. She’s now back in Europe after a spell in the US and is faced again with the fear of being targeted by extremists. French Socialists are calling for a special EU fund, saying it’s wrong for critics of Islam to pay for their own protection. 

The Netherlands has nearly a million Muslims, mostly Turkish and Moroccan. There’s tension there between them and the native Dutch population. This has held up two huge mosque projects in the country--one in Rotterdam and one in the capital Amsterdam. 

A top attraction In the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, is the famous red light district. But the district may not be around much longer. The city council has announced plans to clean up Amsterdam's image, and a third of the window brothels are to be closed. So Instead of prostitutes, windows will display the wares of upmarket shops. Sex workers fear that they'll be driven onto the streets and some say Amsterdam's reputation as a liberal and tolerant city is also threatened. 

A different kind of smoking is the focus of Amsterdam's Hash Museum as Louise Dunne from Radio Netherlands Worldwide found out. 

Europe is in the grip of summer holidays, and many visitors to Amsterdam this summer are disappointed to find that two of the Dutch capital's world famous museums are closed for renovation with only a tiny portion of their collections on show. But there are a wealth of other, smaller museums in the city to visit. Louise Dunne from Radio Netherlands Worldwide ventured into Amsterdam's Hash Museum. 

Nearly 350,000 people lined the sides of Amsterdam's Prinsengracht Canal last weekend to celebrate Gay Pride. A flotilla of boats sailed along in the sunshine, but it was one special boat that got the most attention. It's the first time a boat dedicated to gay and lesbians under the age of consent has participated in Amsterdam's Gay Pride.The boat was the idea of 14-year-old Danny Hoekzema who wants more recognition for young homosexuals. It attracted fierce criticism from around the world and raised questions about whether young people can really know their sexuality at an early age.