Thijs Niemantsverdriet writes from the Netherlands about European Muslims and 9-11:

"In Arabic, the usual meaning of the word ‘Islam’ is not ‘peace’, but ‘submission’. Submission to the ideas and values of Arab tribes from the seventh century." This is not a sentence from Norman Podhoretz’s latest book. It is the opening statement at a press conference that was held earlier today in The Hague, Holland. The heads of several European ex-Muslim Committees gathered to sign a ‘Declaration of Tolerance.’ A wave of so-called committees has swept over Western Europe in the past few months: first in Germany, then in Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Great Britain.

At first glance, the cause of the ex-Muslims sounds sympathetic and important. Muslims, they argue, should be free to renounce their faith without being repudiated by their families or receiving death threats from radical Islamists – something that, alas, happens all too often. In short, they should enjoy the same basic rights as European Christians.

Yet here something strange happens to these ex-Muslims. As soon as they go public on their fall from faith, they seem prone to an unstoppable process of radicalization – towards outspoken anti-Islamism, that is.

The story of Ehsan Jami, the founder of the Dutch committee, is telling. In April this year, Iranian-born Jami announced his attention to found a Dutch branch of the ex-Muslim movement. His initiative was applauded by liberals and conservatives alike. Yet over the summer, as attention in the national media grew, he began losing track. He started flirting with anti-Islam hardliners and insulting the Prophet Mohammed, calling him a ‘horrible man’ and comparing him to Osama Bin Laden. On August 4, Jami was attacked on the street by two orthodox Muslims, after which the government moved him into a safe house. The upshot: in a few months, Jami has succeeded in politicizing a cause that is, at bottom, noble.

 Holland seems to be almost back where it was in the wake of the Van Gogh murder, three years ago: polarized and confused. Liberal Muslims feel alienated by Jami’s harangues against Islam; xenophobe politicians have jumped on his bandwagon. Tellingly, a committee of more moderate ex-Muslims was launched the day before Jami took the stage.

All this sounds reminiscent of another famous Dutch anti-Islam Crusader: Ayaan Hirsi Ali. A celebrity in the United States now, in the Netherlands Ms. Ali has lost a lot of goodwill and credibility by consistently putting moderate Muslims on par with radical Islamists. Just like Hirsi Ali, Mr. Jami seems to be living by the adage that freedom of speech equals the freedom to insult large chunks of the population. In fact, Jami is well on his way to becoming the New Ayaan, yet without the intellectual depth and star power. And here’s another, almost surrealistic fact about him: Jami isn’t even an ex-Muslim himself! His father is an atheist, his mom long ago converted to Christianity.