January 31, 2019•Update: February 01, 2019
THE HAGUE, the Netherlands
Muslim politicians in the Netherlands have requested protection of mosques and Islamic centers from far-right groups and PKK supporters, leader of Denk (Think) Party said on Thursday.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Tunahan Kuzu stressed the importance of protecting mosques against rising Islamophobia.
He noted that more than 300 incidents of attacks on mosques occurred over the past 10 years.
Protecting mosques in Amsterdam is just a beginning Kuzu said, adding these actions must be taken in other cities too.
Last week, Femke Halsema, the mayor of Amsterdam, said that they will protect mosques and Islamic centers because of rising Islamophobic threats.
“Mosques' windows were shattered, people left threat notes and pig heads in front of mosques. A few years ago, some people attacked with molotov cocktails to a mosque in Enschede city. I appealed to Muslim community to speak up about their fears,“ Kuzu said.
Some of the political parties do not want to take action against mosque attacks, he said.
"We bring up this issue every time we have the chance. Sooner or later, everyone will realize the importance of taking safety measures against these attacks. We get the first outcomes from Amsterdam and we will continue to fight for it,” he added.
“When government spare €1.5 million [$1.7 million] to protect synagogues in 2015, Denk Party supported it but we stated that all religious groups deserve same kind of safety as it is the primary duty of the state,” said Kuzu and emphasized the importance of upcoming elections in March 20 on this issue.
Arnoud Van Doorn, former far-right Dutch Freedom Party (PVV) leader, said although the decision of protecting mosques in Amsterdam is an important development, the decision is very late.
“We think anti-Semitism is a problem. On the other hand, attacks on synagogues are declining while attacks on mosques and Islamic centers are rising. There should be no discrimination in protecting both places of worship. Officials should take action against threats,” said Doorn.
Reporting by Abdulah Asiran:Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic
