Dutch Court Rules Mosque Investigation in Veenendaal Violated Rights of Muslims
A Dutch court has ruled that the municipality of Veenendaal acted unlawfully in commissioning a covert investigation into the Taubah foundation and mosque, violating the community’s privacy rights. The court decision marks the first judicial ruling concerning a series of investigations into Muslim communities across several Dutch cities, including Almere and Delft.
The investigation, conducted in 2018 by the private firm NTA (Training & Advice), was ordered without the knowledge of the Taubah foundation.
According to court findings, while Veenendaal argued that interviewees were informed, the foundation and its community were not, and internal information was collected without consent. The court concluded that the process was non-transparent and failed to meet legal standards of fairness.
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Critics have described such investigations as examples of institutional bias and Islamophobia. The practice of hiring private firms to examine mosque communities without oversight raised national concern when it was exposed by NRC and Bureau Spotlight in 2021.
Emails revealed that the investigation report was shared with multiple government ministries and the intelligence agency AIVD, without offering the foundation a chance to respond.
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Veenendaal now faces legal obligations to disclose all report recipients within 30 days or face daily fines.
Taubah board member Bilal Riani welcomed the ruling, calling it “fantastic,” according to NL Times.
Mayor Gert-Jan Kats issued a public apology, acknowledging the harm caused and promising efforts to rebuild trust with the Muslim community.
Source: Agencies
