Antwerp: Sharia Sisters responsible for false charges of sexual abuse

Disclaimer: I'm not coming out of retirement.. but I thought this was interesting, and couldn't find an English source to show people.

The story started when a teacher was accused of sexually abusing kindergarten kids in the Antwerp school De Blokkendoos, this past June.  For days parents protested outside the school, and finally the school was forced to close a week ahead of the summer vacation. The teacher and administration of the school also received death threats and had to go into hiding.  The case has not been officially closed, but the Mayor of Antwerp Bart De Wever recently announced that the teacher had been wrongly accused.

And this is where it gets interesting.

Brussels: Six people charged in deadly exorcism of Muslim woman

Brussels: Six people charged in deadly exorcism of Muslim woman

Belgium: 60% immigrants by 2060

Belgium: 60% immigrants by 2060

Via VRT:

An immigration report by think-tank Itinera says that 25% of the people in Belgium have at least one parent born abroad.

Half a million people immigrated to Belgium in the last decade, 4.5% of the population.  "There total there are about 10% foreigners, 7.5% Belgians of immigrant origin and 7.5% are 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants," says researcher Laurent Hanseeuw.  "That doesn't mean that those 25% aren't Belgians, but it's always interesting to show that the proportion is much greater than 50 years ago, and that it will certainly grow."

Belgium: Moroccan Expatriates to Back Development Initiatives at Home

Belgium: Moroccan Expatriates to Back Development Initiatives at Home

Via StarAfrica:

IOM and the Belgian Embassy in Rabat have signed an agreement to launch an innovative project aimed at encouraging Moroccans living in Belgium to start businesses back home in Morocco.

The EUR 1.2 million, two-year programme seeks to encourage Moroccan expatriates to invest their savings, knowledge and expertise into the setting up of private ventures that will further the development of impoverished regions in the north and east of the country.  

(source)

Belgium: 1.3 million immigrant voters

Belgium: 1.3 million immigrant voters

Via Knack:

According to sociologist Jan Hertogen, about 1.3 million immigrants will participate in the next municipal elections.  They are required by law to vote because they were naturalized (1.1. million) or because they signed up for the elections (0.2 million).  In total they make up 16.7% of the voters: 9.8% in Flanders, 18.1% in Wallonia and 62.3% in the Brussels Region.  In Antwerp they make up 36.3% of the voters, in Ghent 25.8% and in Mechelen 22.8%.

Belgium: Moroccans upset at immigrant 'starter kit'

Belgium: Moroccans upset at immigrant 'starter kit'

Via HLN:

The Moroccan community is upset at Flemish Minister Geert Bourgeois. "In his new 'starter kit' for migrants he portrays Moroccans as stupid beasts," says actor Noureddine Farihi.  "The brochure and accompanying video are patronizing and full of prejudices."  Bourgeois says it's unjustified criticism.  "The majority of them happen to be very ignorant of our norms and values."

"It is forbidden to hurt someone mentally or physically, including your partner or children."  That is just one of the many remarkable - and for Moroccans, offensive - sentences from the new 'Starterskit Migrating to Flanders'.

Belgium: Belgium's integration problem

Belgium: Belgium's integration problem


Via New Europe:

In Europe, and especially in Belgium, most Muslims are part of the underclass. As immigrants, most have come from underdeveloped nations, many as economic and political refugees. As such, they have often lacked the skills necessary for success in the labour market. That reality, combined with discrimination by the native population, has led to sub-average economic conditions for Europe’s Muslims.

Belgium: Homophobic murder might be xenophobic hate crime as well

Belgium: Homophobic murder might be xenophobic hate crime as well

Update to this story: Belgium: Moroccan killed in first homophobic murder


VRT news reports as follows:

The four suspects have all been apprehended. Just like the victim, all four are of foreign descent. Three have a Belgian passport, one a Turkish passport. According to the suspects, the victim "made advances".

The judicial authorities were hesitant about the homophobic motives at first, but later during the day they changed the charges after a fourth suspect confessed that they "wanted to teach the man a lesson", Het Laatste Nieuws reports.

The four suspects are Eric Parmentier, Jeremy Wintgens, Jonathan Lekeut and Mutlu Kiziaslan. Based on their names, the suspects might be of 'foreign descent', but they are not Muslim (with the possible exclusion of the Turkish suspect).  The family thinks the murderers were both homophobic and xenophobic.

Belgium: Moroccan killed in first homophobic murder

Belgium: Moroccan killed in first homophobic murder

Kenya: Belgian, German seized over suspected terror links

Kenya: Belgian, German seized over suspected terror links


Via the Daily Nation:

Police in Lamu have arrested two foreigners suspected to be members of the Al-Shabaab terror group.

Lamu East police boss Samuel Obara on Wednesday said the Tunisian born men were Belgian and German citizens.

(source)

Flanders: Muslims upset at Danni Lowinski episode

Flanders: Muslims upset at Danni Lowinski episode


Via HBvL (h/t RR):

A recent episode of the Danni Lowinski series upset Muslims in Flanders.  In the episode, a Turkish girl wanted help as she was being forced to marry her cousin.  One of the characters, bicycle dealer Fuat, said: 'The Koran says that singles MUST marry.'

Columnist Bahattin Kocak: "It's not in the Koran!  This is fiction, but I think it's a pity that something like that is proclaimed as truth.  This way a million viewers, of whom just a minority know the Koran, get a negative opinion about its content."

VTM apologized if they didn't always show 'a nuanced image of the Turkish community'.  The broadcaster stressed that Danni Lowinski is a fictional show which exaggerates issues, people and problems.

Belgium: Moroccan PM insults female minister, Moroccan-Belgian MPs want Belgian response

Belgium: Moroccan PM insults female minister, Moroccan-Belgian MPs want Belgian response

Via HLN:

Moroccan PM Abdelilah Benkirane recently met in Rabat with two Belgian ministers: Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders (MR) and Justice Minister Annemie Turtelboom (Open Vld).  However, during the meeting he barely paid attention to Turtleboom, and instead focused on her male colleague, Reynders.  Benkirane praised Reynders' French, and told him he 'didn't have to come with an interpreter'.  Turtleboom made it clear who she was, but Benkirane continued to ignore her.
 

Brussels: Mayor accuses journalists of Nazi propaganda after program on Islamism in his town

Brussels: Mayor accuses journalists of Nazi propaganda after program on Islamism in his town

The recent RTBF program on Islamism in Brussels continues to make waves.  See also:Brussels: Imam speaks against Women's Day, Jews.

Via Knack (h/t NRP):

Philippe Moureaux (Socialists), mayor of Molenbeek (Brussels), is upset at the journalists of the RTBF program "Questions à la Une".  Moureaux accuses them of racism and Islamophobia.

Brussels: Imam speaks against Women's Day, Jews

Brussels: Imam speaks against Women's Day, Jews

Via Philosémitisme, La Capitale:

An imam in Anderlecht (Brussels) preached against women and Jews in his Friday sermon, as revealed by the RTBF current affairs program "Questions à la Une". The imam of the Al-Amal mosque was secretly filmed as he spoke in his sermon about International Women's Day.

The imam spoke out against the unthankful, coarse people who created Women's Day, which is not part of Muslim culture. "Only the ignorants celebrate this day, or political politicians who want to confuse the people of God's way. Fear God, follow the Sunnah (Muslim law) and avoid innovative cultures which are not part of Islam."

The imam then went on to speak of the Jewish roots of the day. "What they call Women's Day [...] it's the holiday of Purim, which is of Jewish origin and which dates back to 480 BC. A Jew, Clara Zetkin, revived this holiday in the 20th century. Listen, Muslim women, in celebrating this day, you imitate the Jewish women in behavior which is far from divine."

According to mosque administrator Azzouzi Hamidou, the sermon was not planned, and was delivered as a response to a question asked by a parishioner. The imam was reprimanded and will be fired if he continues.

Update: small fixes throughout

Flanders: Far-right party creates anti-immigrant website

Flanders: Far-right party creates anti-immigrant website

Via AFP:

A Flemish far-right party launched a website Tuesday inviting people to report crimes committed by illegal immigrants, mirroring a controversial initiative in the Netherlands.

The website created by Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) allows people to file anonymous tip-offs of social security fraud, work on the black market and more serious crimes, a move anti-racism activists compared to Nazi tactics.

(source)

Belgium: Moroccan in jail for circumcising son

Belgium: Moroccan in jail for circumcising son

Via Volkskrant:

A 23 year old Moroccan was sentenced to jail for circumcising his two year old son. A court in Tongeren, next to Maastricht, sentenced the man to two years (one of which is conditional). He also has to pay 7500 euro compensation to his son and the baby's mother.

The man circumcised his son, since he couldn't accept that his son wouldn't be raised according to Moroccan values. The mother, a Flemish woman, withheld her pregnancy from him, because she didn't want the kid to be raised as a Muslim.

After the circumcision the boy was successfully treated in a hospital and there are no remaining injuries.

Jihad News

Jihad News

I usually post these in the 'in other news' feed, but there were so many items of interest over the past few days I thought they deserved their own post.

Update: Abdelkader Merah is the brother of terrorist Mohamed Merah (Thanks M.)

Flanders: 25% of children are of foreign origin

Flanders: 25% of children are of foreign origin

Via HLN:

The number of Turks and Moroccans in Flanders is grossly underestimated, according to a new study by the Flemish government.

7% have foreign nationality, but many immigrants naturalize and their children are considered Belgians. If the former nationality of the parents is taken into account, 15% of the people in Flanders in 2011 were of foreign origin. Among children 0-5, 25% are of foreign origin.

Most immigrants come from the Netherlands, Morocco and Turkey, with Italy far behind in 4th place. Most Dutch live along the border, South-Europeans and Turks in Limburg and Moroccans in Antwerp and Brussels.

Researchers Edith Lodewijckx and Jo Noppe conclude that the number of people of foreign origin is 2.2 times higher than the number of foreign nationals. This underestimation factor goes up to 3.4% among youth younger than 17.

Belgium: Nationalists want language requirement for voting rights

Belgium: Nationalists want language requirement for voting rights

Via VRT:

Belgium's largest party, the opposition Flemish nationalist N-VA, wants to ensure that only non-EU foreigners who speak the local language can exercise their vote.

Lawmaker Ben Weyts: "There should be conditions linked to integration, e.g. knowledge of the language of the local area where you are living. In Flanders this means knowledge of Dutch. If you want to have a say in the administration of your municipality, you should also have the politeness to become familiar with the language of the municipality. If it's up to us, then we favour linking language conditions, integration conditions, to acquiring Belgian nationality and casting your vote."

(source)

Belgium: High unemployment among non-Europeans

Belgium: High unemployment among non-Europeans

(left: employment by nationality, right: employment by land of birth. red: women, blue: men)