After the Quebec mosque attack that left at least six people dead, security has been stepped up in many mosques around the world. In the Netherlands, four of the largest mosques announced that they will shut their doors during major prayer meetings to provide safety to the Muslim community, reported DutchNews.nl.
"We feel compelled to close mosque doors during prayers," the Blue Mosque in Amsterdam, The Hague's as-Sunnah Mosque, Rotterdam's Essalam Mosque and the Omar Al Farouq Mosque in Utrecht said in a statement.
The shooting has influenced policing in the United States, as well. The New York Police Department (NYPD) is directing special attention to all mosques and other houses of worship throughout the city, the NYPD said in a statement. The armed Critical Response Command was assigned to extended coverage at certain mosques, the statement added.
Near New York City in northern New Jersey, home to a significant Muslim population, authorities planned to increase patrols around mosques, the Record newspaper reported, citing police officials. Police in Chicago said in a Twitter message that they would be "providing special attention to mosques and surrounding areas," even though there was no known threat.
While mass shootings have become commonplace in the United States, Canada's neighbor to the south, they are rare in a country with more stringent gun laws. Canadian police visibly patrolled mosques and schools in Muslim communities in several cities on Monday. In Quebec City, police cars were stationed in front of various mosques, with officers checking the identification of reporters waiting outside. Several blocks around the Islamic center that was attacked were cordoned off, with police officers parked outside questioning people passing by. Police from the York region north of Toronto also said patrols were being increased.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other law enforcement agencies reached out to Muslim groups, asking those with security concerns to contact their local police forces.
