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Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken The Netherlands / General Information / Welcome Islam in the Netherlands "" 4. Freedom of religion Freedom of religion and belief is a fundamental right in the Netherlands. This means that people are free to worship as they choose, either individually or in groups, provided they remain within the bounds imposed by the law or by consideration for others (as regards for example noise, health hazards and disturbances of the peace). In the Netherlands, church and state are separate. The government does not interfere in the internal affairs of organisations that profess religious or philosophical beliefs, and the latter do not interfere with matters of state. There are now 300 mosques and prayer centres in the Netherlands (175 Turkish, 100 Moroccan and 20 Surinamese). Islamic burial grounds have also been established in many places. Until the early 1980s, the government provided financial assistance for the construction and furnishing of churches and mosques, but subsidies of this kind were abolished because Parliament felt that they contravened the principle of separation of church and state. Subsidies are, however, awarded to Muslim associations, provided they actively contribute towards the integration of Muslims into Dutch society. "" |