Municipalities in the Netherlands spy on mosques and Islamic associations What's the story?

A Dutch newspaper revealed earlier last month that some municipalities in the country had conducted a “secret research” on mosques and Islamic societies through private consulting firms. So what is the story of this secret research?

The fact that municipalities in the Netherlands conducted research that included in charge of a number of mosques and heads of Islamic associations, sparked outrage among the Muslim community residing there.

This comes after a Dutch newspaper revealed earlier last month that some municipalities in the country had conducted a "secret research" on mosques and Islamic societies through private consulting firms.

The local newspaper, NRC Handelsblad, said that at least 10 municipalities in the country conducted secret research on mosques and their imams, directors of Islamic associations, and Muslim figures influential in society.

She explained that this secret investigation included many major cities that have large Muslim communities.

She indicated that this research was funded by the Dutch Agency for Security and Counter-Terrorism (NCTV) and carried out by a private consulting company called (Nuance door Training en Advies).

The newspaper stated that the main objective of the research is to know the backgrounds of imams of mosques and active Muslim institutions and associations in the Netherlands, and to investigate their relationship with extremist terrorist organizations.

Among the municipalities that have been involved in the "secret investigation" of mosque imams, administrators, teachers and heads of Islamic associations are Rotterdam and Eindhoven; The municipality of Utrecht withdrew from the research because of doubts about the way it was carried out.

And the newspaper NRC considered that the research conducted by about ten Dutch municipalities shook the confidence of the Muslim community in the Dutch government, and some considered it to be "anti-Islam", and that it amounted to "espionage activity."

For its part, the Federation of Moroccan Mosques and Associations in the North of the Netherlands issued a statement describing what has happened to mosques in the Dutch municipalities concerned with “espionage”, wondering about the reasons for this act, especially that mosques always remain open to everyone, and anyone can visit them and be informed of the activities that are held inside it.

The Federation of Moroccan Mosques and Associations in the North of the Netherlands affirmed that "Islam does not attack anyone and does not oppress anyone," adding: "We in this country (Netherlands) live in peace, security and safety. Peaceful society?

The same authority stressed that mosque officials can never allow any behavior or action that harms Dutch society, denouncing what the municipalities have done secretly, describing it as an "unacceptable act" and demanding respect for the sanctity of mosques.