Asmah "Esmah" Lahlah (born 13 October 1979) is a Dutch politician of GroenLinks (GL).
Early and personal life
Lahlah was born to a Dutch mother and Moroccan father.[1] Her father moved to the Netherlands in 1970, following his father. Lahlah has two sisters, and she was raised Muslim. She went to a Christian school and attended Arabic lessons. Lahlah has worn a hijab since around the age of eight or nine.[2]
Following November 2024 Amsterdam riots targeting supporters of the Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C., Prime Minister Dick Schoof blamed a specific group of young people with a migration background for the attacks, and he said that the events pointed to a broader integration issue. Integration state secretary Jurgen Nobel stated that a significant portion of Islamic youth did not endorse Dutch norms and values.[7][8] Lahlah criticized the cabinet's response, arguing that its statements were unsubstantiated and that making generalizations about population groups caused fear among minorities. In response to discussions about integration, she said that people with a migration background should be enabled to participate in society. According to Lahlah, proposals to revoke Dutch nationality for dual citizens prosecuted for antisemitism would reduce dual citizens to second-class citizens.[6]
