The NYT ran a short profile of Amsterdam's mayor, Job Cohen, in its Sunday edition. Cohen has ever since 9/11 been under severe criticism from the resurgent Dutch right who perceives him as the embodiment of the soft, multiculturalist approach that has characterized the country's immigration policies and its inability to deal with Muslim fundamentalism. Not long before he died, Theo van Gogh, succinctly summarized his feelings about Cohen.

To be sure, Cohen's role is not easy. As a Jew he has received numerous threats from Muslim extremists over the years and now lives under round the clock security. What has opened him up to the criticism is his unwillingness to take a tough stance against the radical elements that are disrupting Holland's social cohesiveness:

What, if anything, makes this calm man angry? It is, he says, the new tough talk of "war" on extremism, "war" on terrorism and "clamping down" on immigrants, heard from some politicians. "I see more polarization," he said. "I don't like it, it's bad for the city, bad for the country. Security comes from a stronger sense of community, from getting closer. I worry about the hardening tone."

Well, the Amsterdam mayor may need to combine building a strong community with taking on the radical fringes that seek to destroy it. Not an easy task, but there it is. What struck me though is this passage:

On another day, he attended an awards dinner of a successful Moroccan group. Before the audience of well-suited businessmen and women in jewels and glittering long dresses, the mayor began: "These have not been easy times for you. You may even have wondered: am I wanted here?" The hall was dead silent, as Mr. Cohen continued: "Yes, we all belong here. You are much needed in this society, you are the hope of this country."

An apt comment since the native Dutch have long ceased to be tomorrow's hope.