Belgium: the core of international terrorism

Mostafa Salah

Despite the strong existence of Islamic groups and streams in many European countries; Belgium is the most country on the old continent suffer from the spread of these groups (especially hardliners) on its territory.

What has helped in this is the existence of secular atmosphere as a guarantee for such streams to remain and spread widespread there.

Belgium (which hosts the largest Muslim community in Europe compared to its 1.5 million populations) is facing serious risks as extremist groups adopt the ideology of violence to “Islamize Belgian society” and establish an Islamic state.

The scientist, Felice Dassetto predicted in a study that Muslims would represent the majority of Brussels’ population by 2030.

In a letter sent by Radwan Ahroush, a leader of the Islam Party, in which he called on Belgian society to abandon Christianity and embrace Islam, he raised a warning: “Be a Muslim and you are in safe”. This message reflects the extremist tendencies of these groups.

At the same time, it reveals its orientations in an intellectual diversity that is predominantly hostile in various names.

Perhaps the terrorist strikes received by Belgium indicate the extent of the radical incursion into the Takfiri-Jihadist ideology. Which has spread within Belgian society, under the tolerance of the Belgian Government.

There are many Muslim Brotherhood arms in Belgium, such as the “charity organisation”, which is one of the extremism windows. it is known that the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood on the Belgian territory began after the migration of many immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa.

The Brotherhood’s arms were founded in Belgium by Syria’s Mohammed Hawari at the University of Brussels in the 1970s. With the continuation of Qatari support for this group, many associations and organizations were established and they set control of some mosques there. It has evolved to include the establishment of a lobby there influential in the course of religious trends.

In addition, the Brotherhood has been able to form partnerships with many non-Muslim entities, such as the Christian Democratic Party and the Socialist Party in Brussels. The Muslim Brotherhood in Belgium controls many organizations, the most important of which are the Association of Belgian Muslims, the Union of Islamic Organizations in Europe, the Muslim Youth Forum, The Muslim belief in charitable works, in addition to many mosques, including Dar Al-Quran, Islamic Gathering Society and the European Islamic Network.

The brotherhood exploits these advocacy and charity platforms as important means of influencing and penetrating Belgian society. Especially since many of these organizations are close to the European organizations that are deployed there.

Narrowing the medium

In view of the dangers faced by Belgium, due to the presence of militant groups strongly on its territory; Belgian authorities decided to tighten the medium on all Islamic movements.

Especially the Muslim Brotherhood, by limiting residence, limiting the reason for the presence on its territory, and expelling all those involved in any terrorist acts – especially belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Belgium accused the State of Qatar of being the main sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood. In late 2017, it decided to ban 12 Turkish imams from entering its territory because of Turkey’s cooperation with the Muslim Brotherhood, and they were members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey and regarded them as a threat to their country.

This was not the first procedure of its kind taken by the Belgian authorities against members of the Muslim Brotherhood. In 2014, the Belgian Minister of Interior, Jean Chaldeon, decided to prevent Tariq Sweidan from entering Belgium to attend the Islamic Exhibition in Brussels, because of his defending of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Islam Party, is considered as one of the first Shiite parties founded in Belgium. It is founded by Radwan Ahroush, and the first to establish a Shiite mosque there, in 1999. The basic goal of this party focuses on the Islamization of Belgian society, and the establishment of an Islamic state.

The Islam Party was active in Belgium under the name of the Noor Islamic Party. On July 28, 2001, Radwan Ahroush announced that “Muslims can not join non-Islamic parties. So we established the Noor party to represent Muslims and defend Islamic values. ”

The party follows the Hawza system in Iran, and Ahruosh seeks to participate in the Belgian parliamentary life. He obtained 5% of the parliamentary vote before increasing in 2014, to 10%.The party won two seats in municipal elections in October 2012.

Lutsen Ait Gedig, Radwan Ahruosh Mulnebeck St. Jean and Anderlecht also won local elections there, especially as the number of Muslim expatriates or converts to Islam rose.

The Islam Party is planning to push candidates in the European elections in the coming years. In this regard, the founder of the party, Radwan Ahroush, says: “We are seeking in stages to be the largest party in Brussels.

 Muslim Youth Party

The “Muslim Youth” party was established in Belgium in 2004 by Abdullah Abuaziz Bustan. Its objectives are four axes related to education, work, housing and Islamic customs. As well as the call to wear the hijab and distancing away from the Christian tradition. The party dates back to the Islamic Youth Movement, which was founded in 2002.

Basam al-Ayashi, the Syrian immigrant, founded radical roots in Brussels, which has become known as the Belgian Islamic Center, and has been linked to some of the terrorist al-Qaeda figures and many of the terrorist operations associated with his name.

On May 12, 2017, the Belgian authorities arrested the director of the center in Brussels, Gamal Ben Saleh Muamna, who was under investigation by the commission appointed by the Belgian Parliament to investigate the terrorist events in Brussels in March 2016.

The hardline Salafi movement is based in the town of Mullenbeck, which is located near the Belgian capital of Brussels. This trend has resulted in many similar trends, such as the organization of the “Sharia Movement for Belgium” founded by Moroccan Fouad Belkacem, March 3, 2010, in response to these facts, influenced by existing Salafist European groups, such as: “Islam for Britain”, led by Islamic militant “Anjam Chaudhry”; to spread the Islamic ideology.

The meeting of «Belkacem», «Anjam Chaudhry» in 2010, is the first turning point towards radicalism, and imitates the speech of the movement of Sharia for Belgium, the speech put by «Chaudhry» and other leaders of Islam for Britain; in Belgium.

Belkacem declared his opposition to democracy and incitement to sectarian violence. In April 2010, the organization forcibly entered one of the classrooms at the University of Antwerp; where the Dutch writer «Pino Bernard» delivered a lecture, and began members of the organization to say Islamic slogans, and the lecture was ended by the intervention of police forces and arrest.

 Departure to Syria

In early February 2012, Fouad Belkacem was convicted for the nineteenth time, sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and fined 550 euros; instead of arresting 15 of his symbols. The members of the Movement for the Law of Belgium announced at the time that they were continuing their work, and later found out that many of them had gone to Syria to fight in the ranks of an oppressive organization.

This was parallel with the  emergence of the Tabligh and Da’wa group, which helped to create the new Salafi trend, most of whom belong to immigrants who came to Belgium.

Belgium is considered the largest source of militant groups in the Middle East. It represented the largest center for the preparation of fighters and terrorist operations, as well as the number one exporter of Western fighters with a total of 380 fighters. The first Western suicide bomber to carry out a suicide attack in Iraq was Belgian nationality, in 2005.

Belgium is unable to control the danger associated with the expansion of extremist ideas, especially in light of the increasing numbers of Muslims there. In addition to the many challenges it faces and the slow steps it is taking to confront this challenge. The danger of creating a parallel society within Belgian society is the most disturbing of the authorities, as well as the creation of a rigid society in understanding religion and not recognizing Belgian law and sectarian isolationism is a threat to the democratic and constitutional system.

In this context, the Belgian government is reviewing the agreement on the Great Mosque in Brussels in a move to dismantle these ties. It seeks to regain control of the Executive Directorate of the Muslims of Belgium after it handed over to many Arab and Islamic countries, which it concluded in 1968 with the Islamic Center Which was established in 1936, and the subsequent ratification of the Belgian state in 1975 to introduce Islamic lessons within the school programs.