From Turks and Renegades to Citizens and Radicals : The Historical Trajectories of ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ Muslims in the Netherlands

Abstract In contemporary debates on religion and multiculturalism in the Netherlands, Islam is hypervisible as a ‘problem' originating from outside Europe ‐ the discussion of which draws a clear distinction between the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Muslims. Yet, at the same time, almost no reference is made to the Dutch history of Islam and Muslims prior to World War II. Based on a study of the literature on the history of Islam and the Netherlands during the 16th and 17th centuries and covering the colonial rule of Indonesia and the rise of Indonesian communities in the Netherlands during the interwar period, I trace how the distinction between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Muslims resonates throughout Dutch history. I show how the trope of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Muslims can be found in different, and sometimes contradictory ways and was determined by the local and global interests of the ruling elites and their desire to maintain peace and order to prevent politically dissenting Islamic ideas and transnational movements from influencing local Muslims.