Muslims in Europe: - International Institute - University of Michigan

The Netherlands
by Nico Landman
Demographic database
The total population is 15,760,225 and Muslims or people said to be of "Muslim origin" are 695,600. They are 4.6 %
of the population. Over 1,346,040 immigrants, 40.3 % are less than 20 years old. For Turks and Moroccans, who
constitute the largest Muslim populations, this percentage is more or less the same as the one for all immigrants.
Countries of origin: Turkey (284,679), Morocco (247,443), Surinam (35,638), Iraq (28,502), Somalia (26,050), Iran
(17,432), Pakistan (15,115), Afghanistan (15,020), Egypt (10,908), others (approximately 46,000).
Foreigners can apply for the Dutch citizenship if they have stayed five years legally in the Netherlands. An
increasing number of foreign Muslims have the Dutch nationality (figures for 1999: 66 % of the Turks, and 50 % of
the Moroccans).
Muslims are concentrated in urban centers, in particular the four largest cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague
and Utrecht. The Hague has a large concentration of Surinamese. There were several migration waves: the first
arrivals were mainly Turks and Moroccans during the labor migration starting in the late 60s, a large part were
single males who start family reunions in the 70s. There was postcolonial migration from Suriname, especially in the
years before the Surinamese Independence (1975). Many were asylum seekers from specific parts of the Muslim
world : Iran and Iraq in the 1980’s, Somalia and Afghanistan in the 1990’s. In addition, there was a constant influx
of smaller groups from all over the Muslim World, who came for economic reasons.
Religious sociography
There are approximately 380 public prayer halls, of which 30 are newly built (usually with a minaret); apart from
some invisible prayer halls, all institutions are visible in public space.
Education
There are 32 Islamic primary schools and one secondary school in Rotterdam that started in August 2000, which are
recognized and financed by the state. The courses offered must follow a national curriculum which fill most of the
available time, whereas the Islamic identity can only be expressed by a few hours a week religious lessons, and
religious ceremonies. It is no training for Islamic religion teachers. In addition, most mosques have their Quran
courses. There is also the "Islamic University of Rotterdam" (IUR), privately funded, and some smaller training
institutes. In 2001, part of the IUR-staff broke away to establish the Islamic University of Europe, in Schiedam.
There is also a four year training program in the "Education Faculty of Amsterdam" to train teachers for Secondary
schools and some introduction programs are being established, that it will become obligatory for new imams.
Main Muslim organizations
Turkish: Islamic Foundation Netherlands (Diyanet, 140 mosques), Milli Görüs (30 mosques, 60 youth and women
organisations), Islamic Centre Foundation (Süleymanci, 30 centres) and Alevis (30 local organisations and a
federation, HAK-DER).
Moroccan: Union of Moroccan Muslim Organisations in the Netherlands (100 mosques), several smaller clusters
of mosques in which movements like the Jamaat et-Tabligh or Muslim brothers are influential.
Surinamese and Pakistani: World Islamic Mission (30 mosques)
There are no independent Muslim cemeteries, but in some towns an area in the general cemetery are set apart for
Muslims. There are at least four Muslim booksellers; in addition, many mosques sell religious literature.
There are halal butchers in all towns in the Netherlands in which concentrations of some thousands of Muslims are
living.
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