Antwerp, Northern Belgium: Europe and the Arabs
A joint statement was issued after the meeting of the Minister of the Flemish Community of Belgium, Hilde Crevits, with VILD, the Flemish Committee for Interfaith Dialogue, on Thursday afternoon. The participants are representatives of the philosophies in our country. Together they came up with a joint statement calling for a tolerant society where everyone can be themselves.
The statement published on the Minister's official website said that the various global conflicts and contradictions have consequences for coexistence in Flanders. In particular, we are increasingly witnessing strong polarization and hardening between people and societies, which puts pressure on our social cohesion. The participants in the meeting therefore discussed worldviews with Minister Crevits and how to deal with this.
"Everyone must be able to live freely in Flanders. Criticism of conflicts in the Middle East or elsewhere must never turn into hatred or violence. Any form of physical or verbal violence has no place in Flanders. Any form of violence, hate speech and discrimination, such as anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, etc., is absolutely unacceptable and must be fought. We must oppose this strongly as a society," the statement quoted the minister as saying. - Minister Hilde Crevits
Steps are being taken in Flanders to take preventive measures against discrimination. Minister Crevits wants to implement a comprehensive policy to this end. During the consultations, the updating of the religious services decree and other decisions in the coalition agreement regarding religious communities were also discussed.
The meeting took place at the Flemish government's Errera headquarters, a symbolic place in the fight against anti-Semitism. It is named after the Jewish Errera family of Brussels who took the lead in the fight against anti-Semitism in Belgium in the 19th century and played an important role within the complex Israeli. According to the official website of the ministry.
For her part, Asma Ochan, head of the Islamic Council in Belgium, said that in a society increasingly facing polarization and extremism, today, under the leadership of Minister Hilde Crevits, we have taken an important step by signing a meaningful agreement. This is above all a fervent appeal to everyone: let us build a tolerant society, because this is needed today more than ever, according to the statement she published on her Facebook page. She added, "Although I am still relatively young, I have deep confidence in the strength and resilience of our beautiful Belgian society. Despite the challenges and growing divisions, I refuse to be drawn into the destructive narrative. On the contrary, I consciously choose every day to contribute to a connected future. Social cohesion is not an individual struggle, but a joint effort in which we all have to play our part. For this very reason, I expressed my deep appreciation for the warm support that my colleagues have provided since the beginning of our cooperation." She noted the Minister's reference to the relaxed and friendly atmosphere that prevailed in the room during this meeting. I hope that this example of communication and cooperation will continue to influence all levels of our society.

She concluded by saying that today I also had the honor of honoring my grandfather, who was a true bridge builder and connector. By signing this agreement, I am not only continuing his legacy, but also demonstrating the power of generations.

It is worth noting that last February, a new royal decree was issued, accrediting the new Belgian Islamic Council as the official representative of Muslims in Belgium and authorizing it to organize elections in order to expand this council. The council will have full and legal powers to supervise the appointment of imams and teachers of Islamic education in public schools, submit mosque files for recognition, and manage the affairs of Muslims in Belgium. In this context, Asma Ochan, who is of Turkish origin and the first woman to hold a leadership position in the body that manages the affairs of the Muslim community, said that the Islamic Council of Belgium is a council for Muslims by Muslims, and added at the time in a post on social media, "It is time to write our own story, indicating that it is time for the new generations to express themselves." She expressed her gratitude for the positive attitudes that appeared after the announcement of the formation of the new council, "I am also grateful for all the support, constructive comments and criticism as well. It is very understandable that change brings certain feelings, but we are convinced that together we can build a common story."
Belgium recognized Islam as one of the official religions of the country in 1974, and these religions are also recognized by the Ministry of Justice under the Belgian Constitution.
There are about one million Muslim citizens in Belgium, which has a population of 11 million and 400 thousand people. About 450 thousand of the country's Muslims are of Moroccan origin and 300 thousand of Turkish origin.