Blood-stained ‘hate letters’ sent to 9 mosques in the Netherlands

At least 9 mosques in the Netherlands have been sent hate letters, which are believed to be written in a blood-like substance. The incident has caused intense concern and panic among the country’s Muslim community. The Anadolu news agency reported this information in a report on Friday (September 12).

Local media reported that mosques in Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Arnhem, Tilburg and The Hague received the letters. The letters contained Islamophobic comments, insulting language and caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Although such drawings are forbidden in Islam, an attempt has been made to deliberately provoke Muslims by using them. Joram van Klaveren of the national mosque organization K9 told Dutch media NOS, “This is a form of intimidation and threats. The letters are full of hate speech. A letter received in Rotterdam read, “The end of Islam in Europe is near.”

Van Klaveren said, “This incident has brought back memories of past horrific attacks in the minds of Muslims. In 2019, 51 worshippers were killed in a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, and this year, a worshipper was killed while praying in France. We do not fear that something more terrible is going to happen.” The Mosque Federation alleges that Muslims in the Netherlands are often subjected to verbal attacks, abuse and even spitting at worshippers outside mosques.

After the incident, the mosque authorities have contacted the local administration. The mosque authorities have already met with Mayor Carola Schouten in Rotterdam. Van Klaveren said that new security measures have been proposed and the authorities are reviewing them.