Belgian Muslim Executive to Challenge Government’s New Islamic Council in Court

The EMB will file this appeal before June 26, the date on which it will cease to be the representative body of the Muslim faith in Belgium, its lawyer, Me Alexis Deswaef, tells the newspaper Le Soir. In its request, the EMB contests the recognition of the Muslim Council of Belgium (CMB) created on June 6, which results in the dissolution of the Executive of Muslims of Belgium. "This interference by Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne in the Muslim faith is unacceptable. This new Muslim Council of Belgium is not representative. It is a creation orchestrated by the minister," explains the lawyer.

The lawyer denounces a lack of transparency in the process that led to the creation of the CMB, as well as the non-compliance with the deadline of "September 14, 2023" set by the Minister of Justice in the Royal Decree of September 29, 2022 to allow the EMB to clear current affairs before its dissolution. "The minister is authoritatively interfering in the representative body of a religion. He wanted to scalp the EMB. It is hard to imagine that he could behave this way with the other recognized religions," regrets Alexis Deswaef, who denounces a "haste" in the recognition procedure of the CMB.

"It’s a new coup de force," comment some sources who are also concerned about the lack of transparency in this file. "You can’t create an NPO with four people, develop a plan and hope to be the spokesperson for the 800,000 Muslims in Belgium," fumes the imam of Ghent, Khalid Benhaddou, on De Wereld Vandaag on Radio 1.

Responding on Wednesday to questions from some deputies in the Chamber commission, the Minister of Justice explained that the EMB "has not succeeded in representing the Muslim community in a transparent and professional manner. [...] The EMB had long since lost all legitimacy." Vincent Van Quickenborne claims to have consulted members of the Muslim community who would have noted "foreign interference, amateurism, clientelism and lack of intellectual level" at the EMB. The CMB, he specifies, is a "provisional" body whose mission will be to appoint Islamic teachers and consultants and to tour the mosques and the Muslim community with a view to setting up a new permanent body.