Halsema: safety measures taken at Amsterdam mosques | Inland

In February 2019, the Municipal Executive decided to improve the resilience of Islamic institutions. In recent years, those institutions have been the target of, among other things, graffiti, vandalism and threats, according to Halsema. The mayor mentions the destruction at the Westermoskee as a recent example from Amsterdam. In December last year a man there smashed three windows with a stone, in July this year a glass was smashed with a beer bottle.

The implemented measures range from foil on the windows, shock lighting with motion sensors and extra night lighting to anti-burglary strips and a fire-retardant layer on wooden exterior doors. This is no guarantee that destruction, violence or arson will be prevented, Halsema emphasizes. “It does provide more resilience against this and helps to improve the general sense of security.”

In total, the municipality approached 69 institutions with the offer to have the safety measures implemented. Sixteen institutions did not take up that offer. The entire project cost more than 1 million euros.

Jewish institutions in the city have also been extra guarded and monitored by security services such as the police and Marechaussee for some time.

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