Hugh Fitzgerald: Van Klaveren Converted — Should We Be Disconcerted? (Part Two)
There are several possible reasons why these three — the German Arthur Wagner, and the two Dutchmen Arnaud van Doorn and Joram van Klaveren — decided to convert to Islam after having been well known as islamocritics. One is the reason Muslims favor: despite their “Islamophobic” backgrounds, these “reverters” had all been struck by the sheer wonderfulness of Islam once they had carefully looked into it. What was it that attracted them? That Islam provides a Complete Regulation of Life, which some lost souls find most appealing, a way to handle the chaos of modern life? That it so clearly separates every human activity into what is halal and what is haram? That in Islam, there is no need to think, but only to submit; thinking has already been done for the Believers and that they have a Community of Believers, members of the world-wide umma, ready to stand by them?
There are other conceivable explanations for these conversions. The Tagesspiegel reported that Wagner, who joined AfD shortly after it was founded in 2013, had in the past been active in a group assisting refugees. Could he have been persuaded by some fetching female “refugee” that Islam, because it shared Wagner’s deep dislike of homosexuality, was the faith for him?
It would not surprise you to discover that an attractive Muslimah, possibly a “refugee,” had set her net — or was pressed into service by Muslim males eager to “turn” some high-profile figures in the enemy camp to Islam — to ensnare the likes of Arnoud van Doorn, or Arthur Wagner, or Joram van Klaveren. As a female refugee, she would not need much prodding to proceed, for she might see such encouragement of “reverters” — the more unlikely in background the better — as her contribution to the Jihad. And should she be responsible for one such reverter, he could help sponsor her, ensure that could remain in the Netherlands or Germany.
What a coup for Islam these three reverts appear to be. One can just imagine how often Muslims will be bringing up their examples as proof of islam’s irresistible greatness, which can, as Wagner said, “overcome even the worst sort of islamophobia.” Of course, we are never told how many Muslims have been converting to Christianity, since most such apostates, for safety, do not identify themselves. But anecdotal evidence suggests that especially in Iran (where Christianity is the fastest-growing religion), in the Kabyle region of Algeria (where the Berbers live, resentful of Muslim Arab domination), and among the Kurds, hundreds of thousands have been leaving Islam each year. And there are a great many converts to Christianity among Muslims in Europe who, for obvious reasons, don’t share news of their conversion with others. Why risk death?
A third possible explanation for these “reverters” is of the filthy-lucre sort. We know that for high-profile “Islamophobes” who turn Turk, that is “revert” to Islam, there is money to be made. Think of all the speaking engagements now available to Joram van Klaveren, Arnoud van Doorn, and Arthur Wagner, throughout the deepest-pocketed Muslim lands — in Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar — or even to audiences of Muslims throughout Europe. The talk each could give would be on the subject that every devout Muslim most wants to hear from an Unbeliever: “Why I Became A Muslim.” That triumphalist topic ought to be worth a great deal per speech. And these reverts might even be sponsored directly by rich Arabs, to go on speaking tours in Europe, addressing audiences of non-Muslims on “How I Saw The Light Of Islam.” And why shouldn’t they testify to the greatness of Islam? How dare anyone question their motives? Why shouldn’t they make some money from their embrace of the Faith? Are they any worse than so many of our past presidents, secretaries of state, national security advisors, big shots of every sort, who once out of office head out to the Gulf (Persian, Arabian, take your pick) to pocket most generous honoraria? These reverts have a story to proudly tell. Why shouldn’t they at the same time be able to earn from their telling their daily bread?
Eventually we’ll find out what different considerations led these men to the One True Faith. Arthur Wagner says it was his way to register his anger at the support for homosexual marriage. Arnoud van Doorn became a Muslim in April 2012, a few months after being asked to leave Geert Wilders’ PVV party for unspecified — possibly financial — reasons. Announcing his conversion, he expressed his regret for having been responsible for the distribution of the anti-Islam movie Fitna: “Right now I am still feeling regret for having distributed the film. I have a responsibility to correct the mistakes that I’ve done in the past.” He claimed that the violent reaction of Muslims around the world against the film made him interested to learn more about Islam, which led to his conversion. But what could he possibly have learned that he did not know before? That Muslims can become dangerously violent if they believe they or their faith are being attacked? What kind of person is impressed, rather than horrified, by such a reaction? Are we right to suspect that Van Doorn’ conversion was nothing more than a smart career move by a thoroughly amoral fellow?
Van Doorn has had various troubles with the law; he has been convicted of providing secret documents to the press, possession of an illegal flare gun, and selling soft drugs to minors. He was accused by a fellow member of the Hague city council of sending a group of Muslims to gang-rape her — a charge that she made in a video before committing suicide. Yet here he is, now earning a solid living as President of the European Da’wah Foundation, and Ambassador of Celebrity Relations for the Canadian Da’wah Association in Europe. For several years, he was a Member of the Board and Official Representative for the PvdE, a Muslim political party, in the city council of The Hague. He has made the Hajj to Mecca, where he was warmly welcomed by his Saudi hosts. Could they have given him a more telling token of their affection and esteem? Had he not reverted, none of that would have been possible. It would be fascinating to know how Arnoud van Doorn is doing now, financially, as a revert to Islam, as compared to how he was doing before he saw the light.
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