The Hague’s mayor Pauline Krikke has described claims that a city mosque is funded by a controversial Kuwaiti charity as ‘extremely worrying’ and has called for new legislation to cover such situations.

‘We are talking here about undermining the democratic rule of law on the basis of religion, ideology or other belief,’ Krikke said. ‘We do not have any means at our disposal to tackle this.’

The city’s As Soennah mosque, which has had an important role in boosting the liveability of the Schilderswijk district, is said by the NRC and Nieuwsuur to receive funding from the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society, a Kuwaiti body which is included on a US list of terrorist organisations.

Political parties have also said they are concerned about the claims. The PVV, which wants all mosques in the Netherlands shut down, has called for a debate with prime minister Mark Rutte.

No business

However, mosque chairman Abdelhamid Taheri told the Volkskrant that in the six or seven years he had been on the board no business had been done with the Kuwati organisation in question.

‘We don’t do business with them and we never have done so,’ he said.

Asked about the NRC and Nieuwsuur claims, Taheri said they are ‘based on anonymous sources and the AIVD security service, which has not confirmed it.’

And even if the AIVD did confirm the report,  it would not be true, he said, adding that ‘we would be mad to work with such an organisation.’