Islamic theologian Tariq Ramadan, who was recently dismissed from his positions with the Rotterdam, Netherlands municipality and at a Netherlands university, has called his dismissal the result of Western "hypocrisy."
In a statement last week, the municipality of Rotterdam and the Erasmus University Rotterdam declared that the Swiss-born theologian's hosting of a program on Press TV was "irreconcilable" with his position as a guest professor and relieved him from his duties (see Muslim Scholar Tariq Ramadan Fired From Netherlands City, University Posts For Weekly Show On Iran's Press TV).
Ramadan, who will chair an Islamic studies department at Oxford University in September, has strongly criticized the Dutch authorities over their decision.
"The situation is completely different from what they portray, because I have been working with Press TV on a program mainly focusing on theology, Islamic issues, philosophy and contemporary issues," Ramadan told Press TV. "Because of the political climate in the Netherlands and especially in Rotterdam, they use it as a pretext to target the visible Muslim intellectuals and as I am visible in the Netherlands, it is what they were going to do," he added.
"The Dutch government and the municipality of Rotterdam have direct contacts with Iran and they did not cut it even after the election, so this is all hypocrisy," Ramadan concluded.
Source: Press TV, Iran, August 27, 2009
