Amsterdam secures mosques with, among other things, stickers, lamps and paper
Amsterdam to better protect business. Additional security measures have been taken at 53 mosques and other Islamic institutions in the past two years, Mayor Femke Halsema wrote last week. They were the last few years of vandalism and attacks.
The measures include foil on the windows, shock lighting with motion sensors, extra night lighting, anti-burglary strips and a fire-retardant layer on wooden exterior doors. Another measure, it turned out now, is the placement of warning stickers: ‘Guarded premises – camera surveillance’.
Thinking list leader Sheher Khan reacts sceptically. ‘College 020 is going to secure mosques… with a sticker’, twitter he taunting. ‘Nice’ addition to what was already known, such as: window paper (or in the words of the college: ‘safety-foil’) of lamps (but with super-advanced motion detection!). Now the mosques can handle it!’
Khan historical that mosques in Amsterdam are not safe. “The threat is uh.” An example included a mosque in New West, which was attacked last week.
‘A man rang the doorbell in the morning with a bag in his hand (content unknown). Luckily no one was there. Then he kicked in the door and walked away.” according to Khan. The mosque-goers were of course shocked. Why did he ring the bell and knock on several doors to speak to someone? And what did he have in his bag? We do not know that.’
The board has reported the matter to the Amsterdam police according to Khan picked up well.