According to AD newspaper, the first letter was delivered last week, coinciding with the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and in the following days other mosques across several Dutch cities were also targeted. In some cases, the letters were accompanied by additional media content containing threatening messages.
Mosque officials, expressing concern over the situation, stressed that these messages carried explicit threats against Islam and Muslims. They called on municipalities to provide additional security measures to ensure the safety of worshippers.
The Islamic Foundation of the Netherlands (ISN-Diyanet) announced that all affected mosques will file official police reports. A spokesperson for the foundation stated that such threats are a direct result of political rhetoric in which certain politicians openly fuel Islamophobia.
The foundation noted that since 2015, around 300 anti-Islamic incidents against mosques in the Netherlands have been recorded, including threats, vandalism, and attempted arson. The spokesperson added: “Despite our efforts to remain calm, the sense of security among Muslims has sharply declined. The question remains: how long can such dangerous actions be dismissed under the pretext of freedom of speech?”
The foundation also confirmed that it is in contact with the municipalities concerned to discuss enhanced security measures for Islamic places of worship.
