Amsterdam: Moroccans guarding mosques at night

Amsterdam: Moroccans guarding mosques at night

The faithful at three Moroccan mosques in Amsterdam are guarding the mosques at night, after the mosques received threatening pamphlets in the mail.

According to a spokesperson, mosques elsewhere in the country also got such pamphlets. He couldn't say if they were keeping guard too. The pamphlets said things like "Wilders will free us of you", according to the spokesperson. He could these threats and similar recent incidents "very alarming".


Mosques are more often the targets of graffiti,threats or violence. A mosque in Dordrecht was recently shot at. Earlier this year a mosque in Groningen suffered from an arson attempt.

The national police registered five such incidents in the first half of 2010. Last year there were 16 cases and in 2008 there were 32.

The spokesperson for UMMAO (organization of Moroccan mosques in greater Amsterdam), mosques don't often complain of such incidents.

Source: Telegraaf (Dutch)

See also:

* Netherlands: Muslims want response to anti-mosque violence

* Netherlands: Fighting violence against prayer-houses is top priority