Police criticised over delayed response to attack on Rotterdam mosque
Police have received criticism for a lack of response following an incident at the Mevlana Mosque in Rotterdam-West. The mosque community, along with members of the Rotterdam municipal council, has sharply condemned what they describe as a delayed and inadequate response, NOS reports.
On the evening hours of May 28, leading into May 29, the Mevlana Mosque was targeted by a group of six men. While worshippers were inside the building, they threw beer bottles and traffic cones at the mosque, damaged a mosaic wall, spat and urinated in the direction of the place of worship, and shouted aggressively, issuing threats and intimidation.
Visitors of the mosque called the police immediately during the attack. However, officers did not arrive on the scene right away. The police unit only arrived after the perpetrators had already fled in a taxi, despite the visitors repeatedly calling for help.
The police initially treated the incident as standard vandalism, rather than recognising it as targeted violence and intimidation directed at a religious place of worship. A police spokesperson confirmed to NOS that officers did not arrive at the scene immediately. This was related to the assessed urgency of the threat, he explained. “During the call, they also indicated that the suspects were getting into a taxi at that moment. That means the threat is gone and it becomes vandalism, and therefore a different priority in how we deploy our capacity.”
The Islamic Foundation Netherlands (ISN) expressed strong criticism, stating that the lack of swift action sends the wrong signal to perpetrators of Islamophobia. Visitors said they felt seriously threatened and not protected. “This is a decision that ISN cannot comprehend,” said an ISN spokesperson. “The safety of visitors to places of worship and the right to practice one’s faith undisturbed and without fear must always be protected.”
Mayor Carola Schouten has expressed her disgust over the incident. “This kind of intimidating and destructive behaviour is completely unacceptable and is contrary to the values of respect and freedom of religion that we uphold in our city and in the Netherlands.”
Schouten also discussed the criticism for the police. “It was a busy evening for the police. The incident was initially not recognised as violence against the mosque. The police chief has acknowledged that this should have been handled differently and has promised improvements. The urgency in this type of incident remains high."
In the Rotterdam municipal council, multiple parties, including DENK, voiced strong anger over the handling of the incident. They called for answers as to why the seriousness and urgency of the situation were not recognised straight away.
