Van Quickenborne refuses recognition for Grand Mosque in Brussels …

The Ministry of Justice has issued a negative opinion on a restart of the Brussels Grand Mosque. Saudi Arabia had withdrawn from the operation of the mosque last year. But she is now under the influence of Morocco. That reports Het Laatste Nieuws. “All Muslim Executive bodies must be renewed.”

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Two years and three months after the report of Commission 22/3, the Belgian Muslim Executive had submitted an application at the beginning of this year, as recommended, to have the Great Mosque recognized. In April 2019, Saudi Arabia withdrew (physically and financially) from the Grand Mosque in the Brussels Cinquantenaire Park, after having preached ‘Salafo-Wahhabism’ there for 50 years. According to the parliamentary committee of inquiry into the terrorist attacks of 22 March 2016, this current is a ‘breeding ground for extremism’.

In April last year, the management of the mosque was taken over by the Muslim Executive, pending the recognition file that was submitted.

Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open VLD) is now giving this recognition file a negative advice. He speaks of ‘Moroccan interference and espionage’. ‘Certain figures are directly controlled by Morocco’, he says in De Oorning on Radio 1.

Appeal to Muslims: ‘Get up and be heard’

The Minister of Justice is urging a thorough renewal of the Muslim Executive before there can be any recognition. The Muslim Executive oversees the administration and management of the Great Mosque. The same figures are present in the Great Mosque and in the executive. The executive should propagate progressive Islam in our country. But there are only men on the board, there is hardly any diversity in Islam, and there is no representation of the different language groups. All executive bodies must be renewed. I appeal to Muslims: get up and let yourself be heard, because it really cannot go on like this. ‘

The recognition process of the Grand Mosque has now been suspended. “I really want recognition, it is best for transparency, but then the executive must first be cleaned up.”

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