Molenbeek

Articles

• Belgian Politician Sparks Controversy Over Arabic Teaching in Molenbeek Schools
  30 December 2022, by Sylvanus

  Teaching in Arabic in Molenbeek is not to the liking of Vooruit president Conner Rousseau. The latter says he does not feel at home there and also calls for improving conditions in these neighborhoods by investing in language, childcare and education.
  Vooruit president Conner Rousseau persists: "I don’t feel at home in Molenbeek." He had made this statement in a controversial interview last April. "In Brussels, due to the shortage of teachers, there are people teaching in Arabic because (…)

• Moroccan-Style Fountain Unveiled in Brussels’ Molenbeek District, Honoring Cultural Ties
  28 May 2023, by Said

  The Brussels municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean paid tribute to its Moroccan community by inaugurating a traditional Moroccan-style public fountain. This fountain, made by artisans from Fez with traditional zellige, was specially shipped from Morocco and installed in the heart of the municipality thanks to the initiative of the associations "Akhbarona Aljalia" and "Espoirs et sourires", in collaboration with the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME) and the municipality.
  This (…)

• Belgian Green Party Poised for Leadership Shift: Young Moroccan-Belgian Politician Vies for Co-Presidency
  27 August 2019, by Bladi.net

  The candidates for the co-presidency of Ecolo are two figures who embody experience in the person of Jean-Marc Nollet and youth, with Rajae Maouane, two values on which the hopes of the Belgian political party are based.
  30 years old, Rajae Maouane was born to a worker father and a housewife mother, both of Moroccan origin. Presented as a woman passionate about social justice, she is also passionate about education as a vector of emancipation. It was in October 2018 that this young (…)

• Motorist Hurls Racial Slurs at Brussels Police Officers of Moroccan Descent
  20 September 2019, by Bladi.net

  Three police officers from the West Brussels area, two of whom are of Maghrebi origin, were the target of insults in Arabic, uttered by a motorist who called them traitors to the community.
  Accustomed to being the scapegoats of passengers and motorists, the Molenbeek police officers, called upon to ensure the security of the 26th edition of the "Jogging foyer" celebration, were confronted with a particular individual on board an "Audi" vehicle, whom they had fined for using a mobile phone (…)

• Moroccan ’Koranic Therapist’ in Belgium Denies Witchcraft Accusations Amid Youth Unrest
  9 November 2020, by Sylvanus

  Young people from Molenbeek accuse Fouad, 54, of practicing "Moroccan witchcraft" and throw large cobblestones against the facade of his office every evening. He explains his activity as a "Koranic therapist".
  It all started with the dissemination on social networks of a video. It shows two of his clients who were surprised and notably insulted as "shūrkists of shit" in front of Fouad’s place, reports La Capitale. The local police went to the scene to protect the alleged "sorcerer" (…)

• Belgian-Moroccan Amal Amjahid Clinches 9th Jiu-Jitsu World Title in Abu Dhabi
  14 November 2021, by Ginette

  New consecration for the Belgian of Moroccan origin Amal Amjahid. She won the Jiu-Jitsu World Champion title for the 9th time in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. She defeated the French Laurence Cousin Fouillat in the final by a score of 2-2 and victory by advantage.
  Amal Amjahid does not hide her joy at being at the peak of her form for this new victory. "This 9th world title means a lot to me, I am proud of it. Because the fight was very difficult both inside and outside. It was not (…)

• Belgian-Moroccan Athlete Amal Amjahid Secures Bronze in Abu Dhabi Ju-Jitsu World Championships
  14 April 2021, by Ginette

  The Moroccan-origin Molenbeekoise Amal Amjahid won a bronze medal last Friday at the UAEFIJ Ju-Jitsu World Championships, held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. After several cancellations, the champion is happy to finally regain the adrenaline of competitions.
  "After the very complicated period I went through, I tell myself, in the end, that I made the right decision by going to Abu Dhabi. I found myself," explains the athlete. She took the opportunity of this interview to confide to (…)

• Cultural Hub in Brussels’ Molenbeek District Closes Permanently
  19 November 2019, by Sylvanus

  After a temporary closure in 2018, the Brass’art cultural café has just permanently closed its doors in Molenbeek, Brussels.
  The main reasons behind the definitive closure of the Brass’art cultural café are numerous, explains Sudpresse. The first concerns certain works that the municipality had to carry out. This had even forced the establishment to temporarily close its doors in October 2018.
  The second is related to a lawsuit filed by Ridoine Daaili. He was also a candidate to (…)

• Thousands Mourn Belgian-Moroccan Preacher Rachid Haddach at Molenbeek Funeral
  4 February 2020, by Sylvanus

  There were 5,000 or even 6,000 faithful who paid a well-deserved tribute on Monday, February 3 in Molenbeek, to the Belgian-Moroccan preacher, Rachid Haddach, who died after a long illness.
  The Khalil mosque, located on Rue de l’Indépendance in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, was packed, on Monday. Many believers came to participate in the funeral prayer organized for the Belgian-Moroccan preacher, Rachid Haddach, reports Belga.
  Some had to remain outside where the police closed traffic on Rue de (…)

• New Study Reveals Molenbeek’s Influence on French Jihadism and Terror Attacks
  22 February 2020, by Bladi.net

  French researcher Hugo Micheron has just published a book on French jihadism. This book traces the role played by Molenbeek, a municipality where many Belgians of Moroccan origin are located.
  "French Jihadism" by the teacher at Sciences Po is an investigation carried out over five years during which 80 jihadists were interviewed, particularly in prisons.
  On the La Première radio, Hugo Micheron explained the predominant role played by Molenbeek in the radicalization of the perpetrators (…)