The chairperson of the Stichting Iskender Pasa mosque, Isa Kandenir, said on Friday that the report was incorrect. Kandenir said the prayer service was being held on Friday and the imam was in attendance as usual. “Everyone is shocked by the incorrect news coverage,” Kandenir said.

The mosque foundation sent a legal letter to De Telegraaf on Thursday demanding that a correction be published in the newspaper. If the newspaper fails to react, Kandenir said the mosque would assess what further action could be taken.

He said it was correct that police detained a volunteer worker at the mosque’s social and cultural centre at about 2.30pm on Thursday. The police raid was aimed at illegal immigrants who were allegedly frequenting the centre. Police arrested one man who appeared to staying illegal in the Netherlands.  

A spokesman for the newspaper, Dick van Santen, said the newspaper had not yet received the letter. “I will wait for the letter and then we will look at what it says. If we were wrong, we will reply honestly,” he said.

Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk revealed on Tuesday that three Eindhoven imams will be deported for posing a national security threat. De Telegraaf then reported on Thursday that a fourth imam was also to be deported. The mosque has strenuously denied the report.

The other three imams serve at the Al Fourkaan mosque in Eindhoven and were accused of contributing to the radicalism of Muslims in the Netherlands. They have indicated they will appeal against their expulsion orders.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Dutch news