Dutch court orders compensation for Amsterdam Islamic school for false extremist claims
Netherland's Hague District Court court orders state to compensate Amsterdam’s Cornelius Haga High School. (AA Photo)
A Dutch court has ordered the state to compensate Cornelius Haga High School, an Islamic institution in Amsterdam, for creating a false impression that the school harbored antidemocratic and anti-integrationist views.
The Hague District Court’s decision concludes a case initiated by the school against the state. The court found that between February 2019 and January 2020, the state misrepresented the school as harboring “undemocratic and anti-integration views,” leading to a significant drop in student enrollment and financial harm to the school. The state has been ordered to pay compensation, with the amount to be determined later.
The court noted that the Dutch Security and Intelligence Service (AIVD) reported in February 2019 on the backgrounds of school staff and alleged links to terrorist groups, as well as the school’s curriculum, which was claimed to be partially Salafi.
Legal review highlights school’s quality and safety
These reports, along with a related letter from the Dutch National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV), were made public during the enrollment period.
Media coverage labeled the school as a “hate school” and criticized it for radicalizing students. Former Prime Minister Mark Rutte advised against sending children to the school.
Following these claims, the school’s management pursued legal action. An April 2021 review by various ministries and institutions found the school’s education quality and student safety to be satisfactory. In October 2022, the Dutch Council of State determined there was no mismanagement by the school administrators.
The court’s ruling highlighted that the intelligence reports contained unlawful elements, and it was evident that the state improperly obstructed the school’s growth. Despite starting with over 40 students in the 2017/2018 academic year and providing adequate education, the school suffered financial losses due to the state’s negative portrayal.
