The official opening of the Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World at Leiden University erupted into violence and chaos last week.
About 200 Iranian demonstrators gathered outside the auditorium to protest at the presence of Faezeh Hashemi, daughter of former Iranian president Hoshemi Rafsanjani and member of the Iranian parliament.
Ms Hashemi had been invited to give a speech at the institute's inaugural ceremony, but members of a left-wing organisation opposed to the regime objected.
She was attacked and hit in the face. She then left by the back door, refusing to give her speech.
Martin van Bruinessen, one of the three founders of the institute, decided to speak in her place, but he too was attacked by an angry mob that grabbed the microphone.
Some protesters believed the real purpose of Ms Hashemi's visit was commercial as the Dutch government plans to send delegates on a trade mission to Iran next year.
Professor van Bruinessen refuted these claims and defended Ms Hashemi.
"It was my idea to invite her. I have no business interests or government contacts. We wanted to have somebody who is doing something practical. She is the only person who is doing something to break through the male monopoly in the application of Islamic law," he added.
The fracas does not bode well for the institute. Earlier this year the government was embarrassed by claims that it was funding the centre for purely political reasons.
Critics claimed that the education ministry's plans for a study centre promoting a liberal form of Islam were a thinly veiled attempt to gain direct influence over Muslim countries and to stop fundamentalism. Several Dutch universities refused to become involved.
Professor van Bruinessen played down the violence.
He blamed insufficient security measures and said there should be free and open debate on all forms of contemporary Islam. "You cannot keep all your discussions in an ivory tower," he said.