Royal support for Muslims

The health of head of the royal family, prince Bernard, is very bad. Sources claim that he could die any moment. The Royals even canceled appointments. But at today's ceremony they where full of joy, the stiff queen even did a short danced with an Brazilian dancer in front of the public.

But today the Queen and most of the Royal family attended the awarding of the prince Claus price at her palace in Amsterdam. Her son, prince Friso who is chairman, will award this price for culture and development.

The prince awards the price of 100.000 EUR for the 'positive contribution to asylum and migration' to Mahmoud Darwish for his 'powerful poetry'. And powerful is the poetry of Mahmoed indeed, as is to be expected from a former member of the PLO executive committee. Former, because he left the PLO as he was against the Oslo peace treaty. One wonders if the royals in Holland mean this is his most 'powerful' poem:

'It is time for you to be gone
Live wherever you like, but do not live among us
It is time for you to be gone
Die wherever you like, but do not die among us
For we have work to do in our land'

But don't worry, the Dutch Royals awarded Al Jazeera in 1999 the same price. The satellite network received it because they 'have paved the way for free social and cultural comment'. Mahmoud is in good company, at least with the head of government in the Netherlands.

Sources
Royal family website: http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/
Prins Claus Fund: http://www.princeclausfund.nl/
Leon de Winter: http://www.elsevier.nl/opinie/weblog-artikel.asp?artnr=12641