Editing Hofstad Network (section)

{{Short description|Defunct Islamic terrorist group in the Netherlands}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox militant organization
| name             =  <br> Hofstad Network
| logo             = 
| caption          = 
| native_name      = Hofstadnetwerk <br> Hofstadgroep
| native_name_lang = 
| other_name       = 
| leader           = [[Mohammed Bouyeri]]<br> 
[[Samir Azzouz]] <br>
[[Redouan al-Issar]]
| foundation       = late 2003 
| dates            = 2003-2004
| dissolved        = 
| merger           = 
| split            = 
| predecessor      = 
| merged           = 
| successor        = 
| country          = [[Netherlands]] 
| allegiance       = 
| clans            = 
| motives          = Disruption of the Dutch constitutional state, and fight against opponents of Islam
| area             = [[Randstad]]
| headquarters     = None 
| newspaper        = 
| ideology         = [[Jihadism]] <br> [[Takfir wal-Hijra]] <br> [[Islamism]] 
| position         = 
| slogan           =
| anthem           =
| crimes           = Terror using hand grenades, small firearms and homemade explosives
| attacks          = [[Assassination of Theo van Gogh]]
| status           = 
| size             = 19
| revenue          = 
| financing        = Unknown 
| partof           = 
| allies           = [[Takfir wal-Hijra]] (alleged) 
| opponents        = [[Government of the Netherlands|Dutch Government]] 
| battles          = 
| flag             = 
| website          = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
| module           = 
| module2          = 
| module3          = 
| module4          = 
| module5          = 
| module6          = 
}}
{{Terrorism}}
The '''Hofstad Network''' ([[Dutch language|Dutch]]: ''Hofstadnetwerk'' or ''Hofstadgroep'') was an [[Islamic terrorism|Islamic terror]] group composed mostly of [[Netherlands|Dutch]] citizens,<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Schuurman|first1=Bart|last2=Eijkman|first2=Quirine|last3=Bakker|first3=Edwin|date=2014-06-08|title=A History of the Hofstadgroup|journal=Perspectives on Terrorism|volume=8|issue=4|pages=65–81|issn=2334-3745|jstor=26297197}}</ref> and mainly young men between the ages of 18 and 32. The name "Hofstad" was originally the codename the Dutch secret service [[General Intelligence and Security Service|AIVD]] used for the network and leaked to the media. The name likely refers to the nickname of the city of [[The Hague]], where some of the suspected terrorists lived. The network was active throughout the 2000s.

The group was made up of Muslim immigrants living in the Netherlands, second and third generation immigrants to the Netherlands, and Dutch converts.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Vidino|first=Lorenzo|date=2007-06-04|title=The Hofstad Group: The New Face of Terrorist Networks in Europe|journal=Studies in Conflict & Terrorism|volume=30|issue=7|pages=579–592|doi=10.1080/10576100701385933|s2cid=144617637|issn=1057-610X}}</ref> The majority of these immigrants came from Morocco.

The network was said{{by whom|date=November 2019}} to have links to networks in [[Spain]] and [[Belgium]]. Among their contacts was [[Abdeladim Akoudad]], also known as [[Naoufel]], one of the suspects of the [[2003 Casablanca bombings]]. The group was influenced by the ideology of [[Takfir wal-Hijra]], a militant offshoot of the Egyptian [[Muslim Brotherhood]]. [[Redouan al-Issar]], also known as "The Syrian", was the suspected spiritual leader of the group. Most media attention was attracted by [[Mohammed Bouyeri]], sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering film director [[Theo van Gogh (film director)|Theo van Gogh]] in 2004 and by [[Samir Azzouz]], suspected of planning terrorist attacks on the [[States General of the Netherlands|Dutch parliament]] and several strategic targets such as the national airport and a [[nuclear reactor]]. The group was also suspected of planning to kill several members of government and parliament.