The former Dutch politician Joram Van Klaveren once saw his hatred for Islam as the driving force behind his political career. However, his journey took an unexpected turn, shocking those around him when he embraced the very religion he had opposed for decades.
In an interview with Al Jazeera’s program Al-Muqabala, Van Klaveren shared details of his transformation from far-right extremism to spiritual enlightenment. He attributed his change of heart to the “logical answers” he found in Islam amidst his internal struggle with European secularism.
A Strict Christian Upbringing
Born in 1979 in Amsterdam to a strict Protestant family, Van Klaveren grew up under the influence of strong religious traditions. His father was a church assistant, and his upbringing was deeply rooted in daily prayers before and after meals and the routine reading of the Bible.
“We went to church every Sunday, and my grandfather emphasized the importance of preserving Christian traditions in the face of external threats,” Van Klaveren recalled.
He pursued studies in philosophy and social sciences, and the events of September 11, 2001, further reinforced his perception of Islam as a “violent ideology.”
In 2004, his animosity deepened following the assassination of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh by an extremist. This incident led him to enter politics, considering it a means to “defend Christianity.”
The Right-Hand Man of Geert Wilders
In 2010, Van Klaveren joined the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) and became a Member of Parliament, serving as the right-hand man of party leader Geert Wilders. During this period, he spearheaded aggressive campaigns against Muslims, advocating for the ban of Islamic schools, the closure of mosques, and even a tax on hijabs. He also notoriously referred to the **Qur’an as a “book of poison.”
However, his alliance with Wilders fell apart in 2014 when the party refused to differentiate between anti-Islamic and anti-immigrant rhetoric.
“I asked them to focus on Islam as a religion rather than targeting Moroccans and Turks, but they refused. That’s when I realized their hatred was indiscriminate,” Van Klaveren admitted.
A Transformational Discovery
Van Klaveren’s transformation began in 2014 when he started writing a book against Islam. However, his research led him to unexpected discoveries.
“I read the biography of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from Islamic sources, including Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings. I found a man who forgave the killer of his uncle Hamza and upheld his morals even in war,” he revealed.
As he delved deeper, his childhood doubts about the Christian concept of the Trinity resurfaced.
“I asked Protestant and Catholic priests how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could be one, but their answers were vague. In contrast, Islamic monotheism provided a simple and logical answer.”
In October 2019, Van Klaveren publicly embraced Islam during a dinner event marking the launch of his new book, From Christianity to Islam. Before an audience of imams and journalists, he recited the Shahada (Islamic testimony of faith).
Reflecting on that moment, he shared, “While arranging my books, the Qur’an fell open to the verse: ‘It is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts in the chests that grow blind’ (Surah Al-Hajj 22:46). At that moment, I realized the problem was never in my mind, but in my heart.”
Facing Backlash and Seeking Redemption
Van Klaveren’s conversion was met with fierce backlash. He received over 2,000 death threats, and Wilders mockingly compared his conversion to “a vegetarian working in a slaughterhouse.” Even his Christian wife was taken aback, though she eventually accepted it, provided it did not affect their children’s upbringing. Ironically, his children have recently started asking him questions about Islam.
He believes that his journey reflects the identity crisis facing Europe today. “Extreme secularism is pushing young people to seek spiritual answers,” he noted.
In his book, he predicts that Islam could become the dominant religion in Europe within decades, despite its current minority status. “Secularism seeks to erase God, but the spiritual void it creates will drive people towards Islam, as it provides clear answers.”
Today, Van Klaveren is actively engaged in Islamic advocacy through the ‘Experience Islam’ initiative, which utilizes virtual reality technology to introduce Europeans to the religion. The initiative aims to reach 20,000 participants.
“I once spread hatred, and now I seek to repair the damage I caused. Islam has unified my heart and mind, and that is my greatest source of happiness,” he concluded.
