Category Archives: Belgium

Complaint against extreme-right leader for ‘islamophobia’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

DewinterA multicultural youth association and an anti-racist movement in Belgium have lodged a complaint against the leader of an extreme-right party for his recent comments made in an interview with a Jewish American magazine.

“Kif Kif” and “MRAX” (Movement against Racism, Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia) requested the Antwerp prosecutor to press with charges against Filip Dewinter, head of the Flanders-based Vlaams Belang (or Flemish interest) party for “inciting hatred”. They also demanded that his parliamentary immunity be lifted and that public subsidies to the extreme-right party be cancelled.

In an interview with the New York-based “Jewish Week”, published last month, Dewinter admitted that his party has an “Islamophobia”. Asked why Jews should vote for a “xenophobic” party, Dewinter replied: “Xenophobia is not the word I would use. If it absolutely must be a phobia, let it be islamphobia.”

“Yes, we are afraid of Islam. The Islamisation of Europe is a frightening thing. If this process continues, the Jews will be the first victims. Europe will become as dangerous for them as Egypt or Algeria”, he added.

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Woman defies law banning the burqa

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Moroccan woman living in a small town in Belgium has single-handedly triggered a national debate on multiculturalism after refusing to obey a municipal injunction to stop wearing a burqa.

The woman has now prompted politicians in the Dutch-speaking north of Belgium to talk about changing federal law, after she became the first person in Belgium to be fined for wearing the all-enveloping veil and robe. She has so far refused to pay the £80 fine, or even to co-operate with police and municipal authorities in the Flemish town of Maaseik.

The burqa, together with a smaller type of face mask, the niqab, has been banned by bylaw in the cities and towns of Ghent, Antwerp, Sint-Truden, Lebbeke and Maaseik. The mayor of Maaseik, Jan Cleemers, said he acted after six women started wearing burqas, alarming locals. Five of the women stopped wearing the garments.

A police inspector in Maaseik said the head-to-toe covering of Bouloudo’s wife, who has refused to speak to police or give her name, offended and alarmed locals. “You cannot identify or recognise someone when they’re wearing a burqa, especially at night. It’s not normal, we don’t have that in our culture,” he said.

Daily Telegraph, 30 August 2005

Belgian king renews support for hijab-clad worker

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Belgian King Albert II and Queen Paola have made a rare visit to a factory where a hijab-clad woman was forced to quit her job over death threats, to express their support for the Muslim employee and her factory colleagues against extremist threats.

Naimi Amzil, of a Moroccan origin, was forced to quit her job in the Remmery seafood factory on March 3, after receiving death threats from an extremist group for no reasons other than being a veiled Muslim. Expressing outrage at the extremist threats, the Belgian monarch decided to visit the factory to back the Muslim employee and other factory workers against the extremist death threats.

During a reception party held on the sidelines of the King’s visit Tuesday, April 19, Rick Remmery, the factory owner, said the visit represents a powerful sign of support for the Muslim employee and the factory workers.

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Threats push hijab-clad Belgian to resign

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A hijab-clad Muslim woman in Belgium was forced to quit her job after no longer being able to stand up to death threats from a fundamentalist group.

“I have decided to quit, to let it drop, to take some time off so that things calm down,” said 31-year-old Naimi Amzil, according to Agence France Presse (AFP) Thursday, March 3.

Amzil, of a Moroccan origin, has been receiving death threats for no reasons just because she is a Muslim and wears hijab.

The latest in a series of death threats was a letter containing two bullets signed by an extremist group calling itself “New Free Flanders”. The fundamentalist group said that an execution was being prepared, threatening to poison produce made at the delicatessen factory in west Flanders where she worked.

Amzil and her employer Rick Remmery, who runs a successful worldwide famous seafood firm based in western Belgium, hit the newsstands after they were received by Belgian King Albert II following their refusal to bow to death threats against them.

The tragic chain of events became known last November when a group calling itself “New Free Flanders”, demanded that Remmery sack 31-year-old Amzil if she insists on wearing hijab, accusing him of being “a bad Belgian who collaborates with Muslims.” The group threatened Remmery and his family in case of noncompliance.

Amzil offered to take off her hijab during working hours or resign, but a brave Remmery shrugged off both options.

Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said he was disappointed at Amzil’s resignation, vowing to bring those behind the threats to justice. “I am shocked. We will do everything we can to find those behind this.” Similar reactions were expressed by other Belgian officials.

Belgian Equal Opportunities Minister, Christian Dupont, stressed that “it is a scandal that the person making these threats remains comfortably at home.” “It is unacceptable and inhuman that a worker who wears a headscarf… should be driven to resign after a series of threats,” said Dupont.

IslamOnline, 4 March 2005