World's 1st Islamic Experience Center in Netherlands aims to break down prejudices

By Abdullah Asiran

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AA) - The world's first Islamic Experience Center in the Netherlands, where Islam is explained through the technologies of virtual reality glasses, hologram and 8D sound, aims to break down prejudices.

The center was established in the city of Rotterdam by the Islamic Experience Center Foundation, which was founded and represented by Joram van Klaveren -- a former Islamophobic politician who converted to Islam in 2019.

Virtual reality glasses, hologram and 8D sound technologies are used in the Islamic Experience Center, which was established to explain the religion of Islam and to eliminate prejudices against Islam and Muslims.

Van Klaveren told Anadolu that he started using high technology to explain Islam to students in schools, and opened the center on high demand.

"First, we want to inform people about Islam. Second, we want prejudices to disappear. People, especially in the West, sometimes have strange ideas about Islam. This is due to a lack of knowledge," he said.

"We want to change that with this center. Third, we want people to have a broad understanding of each other," he added.

Van Klaveren served as a member of parliament for the far-right Freedom Party (PVV) in 2010-2014.

He resigned after PVV leader Geert Wilders’ racist remarks about Moroccans and founded his own party, but failed to win a seat in the 2017 national elections, and quit politics.