Hawzah News Agency-Salafist Muslims in Rotterdam have bought a 7,000 square metre former trade school and are turning into an educational institute.

 The sales agreement was signed by a Dutch Egyptian with links to controversial Muslim organisations in the Netherlands and was bought via a German property firm with money from the Middle East.

Neither the city council nor locals were aware of the sale. Parliament in December passed a motion calling on the cabinet to look into banning Salafist organisations because they are, according to the security services, a breeding ground for jihadism. Salafism is an ultra-conservative movement within Sunni Islam, and a small proportion of its followers – known as jihadi Salafists – believe in violence.

Freedom of religion However, the government ruled out a ban, saying it would conflict with the individual right to freedom of religion.

Several small religious organisations are said to also planning to move into the property. Terrorism expert Edwin Bakker told he considers a Salafist institute to be ‘undesirable’ and is concerned about the financing of the deal. ‘Will the board be free to do as they like or will people in Saudi Arabia determine what happens there,’ he said.