By Melike Pala
BRUSSELS (AA) - A major mosque umbrella organization in the Netherlands is urging the government to appoint a special national coordinator dedicated exclusively to combating Islamophobia, saying that threats and discrimination against Muslims have risen sharply in recent months.
K9, which represents more than 250 mosques and Islamic organizations across the country, says the current national framework is no longer sufficient to address the scale of the problem, broadcaster NOS reported Monday.
"It's good that there's a separate antisemitism coordinator...But more needs to be done at the institutional level to combat Islamophobia," said K9 spokesperson Joram van Klaveren.
Several mosque associations have reported an uptick in threats and intimidation. The Yunus Emre Mosque in Emmeloord was targeted as recently as last week.
Earlier this year, researchers from Utrecht University and other institutions concluded that anti-Muslim discrimination in the Netherlands is persistent, socially disruptive and becoming increasingly normalized.
Given this context, K9 argues that a dedicated Islamophobia coordinator is necessary to ensure political visibility, tailored policy responses and structural support for Muslim communities.
Van Klaveren pointed to a recent €1.3 million ($1.5 million) security fund secured by national antisemitism coordinator Eddo Verdoner for Jewish institutions.
"We would have liked to see money allocated to securing Islamic institutions, but that is not the case," he said.
However, National Coordinator against Discrimination and Racism Rabin Baldewsingh, who is currently responsible for addressing anti-Muslim discrimination, opposes the idea of introducing a separate Islamophobia coordinator.
He warned the proposal would lead to policy fragmentation, saying: "I understand their argument, but there is one national coordinator for all forms of discrimination and racism."
He said he would prefer a single national office addressing all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism, but noted that the antisemitism portfolio was created separately before his appointment.
Acting Interior Minister Frank Rijkaart reiterated that the Cabinet favors a unified approach.
"The Cabinet considers it desirable that all grounds for discrimination be dealt with by a single institution. This prevents fragmentation of attention," he said.