Dutch group tackles gay Muslim tensions
The Nike match ball infront of rainbow flags during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United at Vitality Stadium on February 24, 2018. (Catherine Ivill/Getty)
A Dutch multicultural group is hoping to attack tensions between gay and Muslim groups with a football tournament.
The Institute of Multicultural Development (IMD) will hold the competition next week in reaction to a survey by the Police Research Academy which blamed people of Moroccan and Turkish origin for a significant amount of homophobic attacks.
Academy director Frits Vlek suggested the homophobia was due to the fact that being gay is not widely accepted in Muslim cultures, but now the IMD want to calm relations.
Muslim-gay friction will be the theme of the football matches to be held next week. A group organiser, Suzanne Ijsselmuiden, said she hoped the games will “help ease these tensions so that people can openly talk about homosexuality.”
