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Society

Dutch Cities Have Been Secretly Probing Mosques Since 2013

Revelations of a nationally funded clandestine operation within 10 municipalities in the Netherlands to keep tabs on mosques and Muslim organizations after a rise in radicalization eight years ago.

Google Street View screenshot of men standing before the ​Nasser mosque in Veenendaal, one of the mosques reportedly surveilled

The Nasser mosque in Veenendaal, one of the mosques reportedly surveilled

Meike Eijsberg

At least ten Dutch towns and cities have secretly used a private agency to probe mosques and other local religious organizations, Amsterdam-based daily het NRC reports in an exclusive investigation.

The clandestine operation — funded by NCTV, the National Security Services, the Netherlands' leading counter-terrorism agency — was prompted by the social unrest and uncertainty following multiple terror attacks in 2013, and a rise in Islamic radicalization.


The NCTV, which advises and financially supports municipalities in countering radicalization, put the municipalities in touch with Nuance by Training and Advice (Nuance door Trainingen en Advies, NTA), a private research agency based in Deventer, Netherlands. Among the institutions targeted by the investigations, which came at a cost of circa 500,000 euros, were the Al Mouahidin mosque in the central Dutch town of Ede, and the Nasser mosque east of the city of Utrecht, according to NRC.

Photo of people standing on prayer mats inside a Dutch mosque

Praying inside a Dutch mosque.

Hollandse-Hoogte/ZUMA

Broken trust in Islamic community

Unlike public officials, the private agency can enter the mosques to clandestinely research the situation. In this case, the agents observed activity, talk to visitors, administrators, and religious leaders, and investigated what they do and say on social media.

All findings then wound up in a secret report which includes personal details about what the administrators and teachers studied, who their relatives are, with whom they argued, and how often they had contact with authorities in foreign countries, like Morocco.

Leaders of the Muslim organizations that were secretly probed say they feel betrayed.

It is unclear whether the practice is legal, which is why several members of the Dutch Parliament are now demanding clarification from the outgoing Minister of Justice and Security, Ferd Grapperhaus, who is said to be involved.

"The ease with which the government violates (fundamental) rights when it comes to Islam or Muslims is shocking," Stephan van Baarle, member of the leftist party DENK, toldDe Volkskrant, another Dutch newspaper.

Leaders of the Muslim organizations that were secretly probed say they feel betrayed. Hassan Saidi, director of one of the mosques investigated, said that the relationship with the local municipality had been good. "This puts a huge dent in the trust I'd had in the municipality," he told the Dutch public broadcaster NOS.

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Geopolitics

Polish Elections: Liberal Democracy Is Still Alive And Kicking

The results from the landmark Polish election, which saw a surge by liberal and center-right parties, is long awaited good news for the European Union... and not-so-good news for Viktor Orban.

Polish Elections: Liberal Democracy Is Still Alive And Kicking

The opposition front is led by former prime minister and former European Council leader Donald Tusk.

Pierre Haski

-Analysis-

PARIS — Poland has provided the world with a fine illustration of the difference between an "illiberal" regime and a dictatorship. The country's ruling party Law and Justice (better known by its initials, PiS) falls perfectly under said "illiberal" label, having greatly undermined the independence of the judiciary and curtailed press freedom in recent years.

For the latest news & views from every corner of the world, Worldcrunch Today is the only truly international newsletter. Sign up here.

But the national-populist party lost the general election on Sunday, to an opposition front led by former prime minister and former European Council leader Donald Tusk. This was anything but a done deal, be it only because of the continuous, if crude, attempts to discredit Tusk.

This relative defeat of the PiS — the party is holding its own in terms of votes but has seen the collapse of its potential far-right ally — is an important political moment for Europe.

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