Mosques

Dutch mosques were targeted in dozens of incidents over the past year, a clear increase compared to previous years, Dick Schoof, the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security said on Friday. He suggests that extra preventative measures be taken at mosques and at a local level, AD reports.

Christian party SGP wants to ban mosques in the Netherlands from making their daily calls to prayer with the words "Allahu Akbar", party leader Kees van der Staaij said to broadcaster NOS. This ban is one of the points in the SGP's election campaign, which will be released in two weeks.

Geert Wilders' PVV released their election campaign and it is only one page long with eleven points. The first point, and most expansive one too, is the "de-Islamization" of the Netherlands.

Mosques in the Netherlands are increasingly facing threats, almost on a daily basis. Yet no extra security measures will be implemented to protect them at this stage. But should it be needed, there will not be a second's hesitation to give extra security, Minister Lodewijk Asscher of Social Affairs said after a meeting with mosque managements

Violent incidents directed against mosques are increasingly common occurrences and happen far more often than is reported in the media, according to researcher Ineke van der Valk. "Many Mosque leaders choose not to make the violence against their address public", she said to Dutch newspaper Trouw. "For example, because they do not want to exacerbate the matter."

A number of mosques in Amsterdam implemented extra security measures following the terrorist attacks in Paris. The feelings of insecurity that emerged after the attack on Charlie Hebdo in January, are even worse following the attacks in the French capital on November 13th

A total of 45 imams from Morocco will preach the so-called "healthy Islam" in the Netherlands during Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month that starts on June 18th.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher, the PVV "crossed a new line" by "clearly and unambiguously" stating that "Muslims do not have the same rights as other Dutch citizens".

Dutch mosques are going to take to social media in an effort to counter the flood of muslim youths being recruited by terrorist organization IS. Young islamists are being encouraged to offer counter-discussions about the negatives of IS on the internet, to engage sympathizers to turn away from extremism, the Algemeen Dagblad reports.

The government is taking steps to tackle the growing incidents of discrimination in The Netherlands. In response to the number of anti-Semitic events that have occurred in the country recently, Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Ministers Lodewijk Asscher and Ivo Opstelen spoke with representatives of various Jewish organizations in the Catshuis, the NOS reports.