Almere calls for ban on hate preachers

The majority of the Almere city council wants Mayor Annemarie Jorritsma to make every effort to prevent "the arrival of bigoted, Salafist preachers", ANP reports. The council believes that the coming of these preachers and recruiters "threatens the unity of the Almere society". They find it unacceptable that mosques invite such figures to speak in Almere. The council decided to adopt a PVV motion on controversial preachers on Thursday, after an emergency debate on the arrival of preacher Esam Alowed. Earlier in the evening Jorritsma stated that she wants Germany to withdraw the sheikh's visa. The Saudi sheikh was invited to be a guest speaker at a three day fundraising conference in the city. He applied and received a visa for the Netherlands in Germany.