Mosque leaders have little confidence left in Dutch government, study finds

Mosque leaders in the Netherlands have little faith in the government, according to a survey conducted by researchers from Movisie and Moslimpeil. The report, based on interviews with 82 mosque leaders, will be submitted to the National Coordinator against Discrimination and Racism.

Three-quarters of the leaders said they have “little or very little” confidence in the government, and a similar percentage doubted the government’s commitment to protecting Muslim rights. Only 1 percent expressed confidence. Leaders said their trust has declined over the years, citing incidents such as the benefits scandal, where families with migrant backgrounds were unfairly targeted, and municipalities conducting investigations into mosques without informing them.

Stereotypical comments by ministers following attacks on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam last year further eroded confidence. Researchers described the situation as “an accumulation of signals that put pressure on the sense of safety, recognition, and justice.” Cooperation between mosque leaders and the government remains difficult, with a third of respondents reporting no contact with government officials. Confidence is higher in local governments, with 26 percent expressing high trust in their municipalities.

The Contactorgaan Moslims en Overheid (CMO), representing more than 380 mosques and 10 umbrella groups, responded by urging the government to engage directly with mosques rather than speaking about them publicly. “Politicians have grabbed every theme in the last two years to put Muslims in a harsh light,” said CMO Chairman Muhsin Köktas. He called for policies focused on rebuilding trust instead of fostering polarization and discrimination.

In the meantime, the Dutch government announced plans to begin deleting unlawfully collected personal data on Muslims starting January 1, 2026 — later than the privacy watchdog’s recommended deadline, Nu.nl reported. Between 2016 and 2019, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment collected personal data on Dutch Muslims without their knowledge during investigations into individuals and networks within Muslim communities.

The Dutch Data Protection Authority ruled the data collection illegal and discriminatory and ordered the government on April 11 to destroy the records within two months. However, the ministry is still processing requests from individuals seeking to know if their data was collected. So far, officials have confirmed that data from at least 206 Muslims were processed unlawfully, with 30 having requested access themselves and 176 discovered through internal checks.

State Secretary Jurgen Nobel described the situation as “painful and serious” and expressed hope that those affected have received clarity and can now close this chapter.