Almere demands action on controversial imam visit

Turkish mosqueAlmere council has demanded mayor Annemarie Jorritsma do all she can to prevent controversial imams from making speeches in the city.

The motion was put forward by the anti-Islam PVV following news that a so-called ‘hate preacher’ is due to attend a three-day conference in Almere which starts on Friday.

The visit by Esam Alowed and other jihad supporters is a threat ‘to the unity of Almere society’, and it is ‘unacceptable’ that mosques invite such people, the motion states.

Esma Alowed was given a visa to visit the Netherlands in Germany, news agency ANP says.

There has been a string of protests about visits by controversial imams to the Netherlands in recent months.

In March, the visas for three imams invited to speak at a charity fund-raising event in Rijswijk were cancelled because of ‘public order concerns’. Several imams accused of preaching hatred and encouraging jihad had been invited to attend the event.

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