Dutch Muslims are becoming more religious

An increasing number of second generation Dutch Muslims are visiting the mosque at least once a week, according to research published by the government's socio-cultural policy unit SCP.

The new survey among Dutch Muslims is an update on one carried out in 2004 which concluded Muslims were becoming less religious. That is no longer the case, particularly among people of Moroccan origin, says the SCP.

Between 1998 and 2011, the number of mosque-attending Moroccans rose from 9% to 33% while the number of Turks increased from 23% to 35%. Of the Turkish Netherlanders between the ages of 15 and 24 10% pray five times a day. For young Moroccan Netherlanders the percentage is 61%.

The Moroccan-Dutch are more likely to fast during Ramadan and eat halal every day. The women are also more likely to wear a headscarf, says the SCP.

Conclusions

Second generation Muslims who worship regularly feel a stronger bond with their family home land than with the Netherlands. They are more likely to stay in their own ethnic circle and are more conservative about the position of women and homosexuals, says the SCP.

The Netherlands has an estimated 825,000 Muslims, mostly of Turkish and Moroccan origin. Smaller groups come from Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq. Asylum seekers from Iran are the least religious.