Netherlands: Salafism stagnating
The growth of Salafism, an ultra-orthodox movement in Islam, is stagnating in the Netherlands, the intelligence service AIVD concludes.
Followers of Salafism want to go back to the 'pure' Islam of the beginning (around 600 AD) and live strictly by the law of this time.
Two years ago the AIVD warned of the increasing influence of Salafist imams on Dutch Muslims. Not because they call to violence, but because by prevent the integration of Muslims by rejecting Western society. The AIVD feared that that Salafism would grow into a movement.
A recent study of the AIVD shows that this didn't happen. "Our most important conclusion is that the growth is stagnating. It is not leading to wide circulation, and that was in particular our concern," says Wil van Gemert, director of interior security in the AIVD.
According to the intelligence service there are several reason for the decreased growth of Salafism. The Salafist centers barely gets any more subsidies. Also, the immigrant community is turning against them. Not only moderate Muslims, but also non-believer and orthodox Muslims who think some preachers are hypocrites since they themselves don't keep to the strict rules.
Moreover, the AIVD sees that young Salafist Muslims step out after some time. "They say that this doesn't fit in a Western society, that it doesn't agree with the freedom and their own opinion that they want," says van Gemert.
The intelligence services does say that the professionalizing of the Salafist centers continues. Students can take courses in order to spread on the Salafist teachings. The centers also continue to spread ideas that Muslims should not mix in Dutch society.
A positive development, according to the AIVD, is that the Salafist mosques show radicalizing youth out the door. These are youth who want to continue further than political Salafism and are ready to Jihad and therefore do not shun violence.
For example, the administration of the As Soenah mosque in the Hague kicked out a group of youth last year. Several of these youth showed up in Kenya this summer. According to the public prosecution, the young Muslims were on their way to Somalia to take part in a Jihadist training camp.
Salafism is divided into three movements where the ideas are the same, but the strategy is different. Puritism is a non-political movement which tries to live by the laws of the beginning of Islam. Political Salafism also wants to spread Salafism and tries to form a movement in The Netherlands which will in the end also have influence and acquire power. The last movement is Jihadist Salafism. Jihadist go yet a step further. They think violence is justified (particularly in Muslim countries).
In the Netherlands there are four big Salafist centers in the Hague, Amsterdam, Tilburg and Eindhoven. The goal of these centers is the re-Islamization of Muslims. According to the AIVD did does not lead to an acute attack on the democratic order, but in the longer term it does lead to polarization. This is a sneaking process, according to the intelligence service.
Source: NOS (Dutch)
The growth of Salafism, an ultra-orthodox movement in Islam, is stagnating in the Netherlands, the intelligence service AIVD concludes.
Followers of Salafism want to go back to the 'pure' Islam of the beginning (around 600 AD) and live strictly by the law of this time.
Two years ago the AIVD warned of the increasing influence of Salafist imams on Dutch Muslims. Not because they call to violence, but because by prevent the integration of Muslims by rejecting Western society. The AIVD feared that that Salafism would grow into a movement.
A recent study of the AIVD shows that this didn't happen. "Our most important conclusion is that the growth is stagnating. It is not leading to wide circulation, and that was in particular our concern," says Wil van Gemert, director of interior security in the AIVD.
According to the intelligence service there are several reason for the decreased growth of Salafism. The Salafist centers barely gets any more subsidies. Also, the immigrant community is turning against them. Not only moderate Muslims, but also non-believer and orthodox Muslims who think some preachers are hypocrites since they themselves don't keep to the strict rules.
Moreover, the AIVD sees that young Salafist Muslims step out after some time. "They say that this doesn't fit in a Western society, that it doesn't agree with the freedom and their own opinion that they want," says van Gemert.
The intelligence services does say that the professionalizing of the Salafist centers continues. Students can take courses in order to spread on the Salafist teachings. The centers also continue to spread ideas that Muslims should not mix in Dutch society.
A positive development, according to the AIVD, is that the Salafist mosques show radicalizing youth out the door. These are youth who want to continue further than political Salafism and are ready to Jihad and therefore do not shun violence.
For example, the administration of the As Soenah mosque in the Hague kicked out a group of youth last year. Several of these youth showed up in Kenya this summer. According to the public prosecution, the young Muslims were on their way to Somalia to take part in a Jihadist training camp.
Salafism is divided into three movements where the ideas are the same, but the strategy is different. Puritism is a non-political movement which tries to live by the laws of the beginning of Islam. Political Salafism also wants to spread Salafism and tries to form a movement in The Netherlands which will in the end also have influence and acquire power. The last movement is Jihadist Salafism. Jihadist go yet a step further. They think violence is justified (particularly in Muslim countries).
In the Netherlands there are four big Salafist centers in the Hague, Amsterdam, Tilburg and Eindhoven. The goal of these centers is the re-Islamization of Muslims. According to the AIVD did does not lead to an acute attack on the democratic order, but in the longer term it does lead to polarization. This is a sneaking process, according to the intelligence service.
Source: NOS (Dutch)
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