Dutch Mayor Under Fire for Secret Investigation Into Muslim Community
The inquiry, conducted by the consultancy Nuance door Training en Advies (NTA), has sparked legal and ethical concerns after a secretly recorded tape revealed that the investigation was carried out without specific cause, the NL Times reported on Saturday.
The recording, obtained by the Algemeen Dagblad (AD), features Van Bijsterveldt admitting that the decision to conduct the investigation was based on its common practice in other municipalities rather than concrete concerns. “What began as something like, ‘Oh, many municipalities do this, so let’s go ahead,’” she said.
She also acknowledged that the operation, which included observing young people at a local shopping center, was intended to remain discreet.
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Contradicting her earlier public statements, the mayor emphasized on the tape that no surveillance occurred within the Al Ansaar Mosque. However, Stichting Al Ansaar, the organization behind the mosque, contends that the investigation violated their rights and has demanded access to the NTA’s report to understand what information was collected.
“We are pursuing full transparency and accountability,” said Paul Tjiam, a lawyer for Al Ansaar.
The municipality has refused to release the report, citing confidentiality agreements, though it admitted to inadvertently sharing it with the Nationaal Coördinator Terrorismebestrijding en Veiligheid (NCTV) due to an email error.
Legal experts, including Professor Tom Zwart of Utrecht University, have criticized the lack of legal justification for the investigation.
“Mayors should not interfere with what happens behind closed doors in people’s homes or places of worship,” Zwart said. “Preventive measures require a direct link to public safety concerns, which was absent here.”
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Similar probes in other Dutch municipalities have faced backlash, with mayors issuing apologies to Muslim communities.
Stichting Al Ansaar fears that the report’s contents may contain inaccuracies or have been misused by authorities. “The information in the report might have serious consequences,” Tjiam warned.
Van Bijsterveldt has yet to respond to the latest allegations, as scrutiny over the municipality’s actions continues to grow.
Source: Agencies
