40% of Dutch mosques have been attacked, daubed with racist graffiti

Almost 40% of the Netherlands’ 475 mosques have had to deal with racist graffiti, smashed windows and other violent behaviour over the past 10 years, according to Amsterdam University researcher Ineke van der Valk.

Many Dutch mosques have recently increased security following the spate of arson attacks in Sweden and a Dutch Facebook page calling for people to do the same here.

Van der Valk says her research shows attacks on mosques have become structural and are influenced by national and international events.

‘There was an increase following the murder of television presenter Theo van Gogh and there is another peak now with the rise of terror group IS,’ she told the Volkskrant.

A special organisation set up to facilitate contact between Dutch Muslims and the government has asked the justice ministry to draw up a formal risk assessment for the country’s mosques.