Belgium | Imam who calls for “burning Jews” banned from residence
(Brussels) A Moroccan imam was banned from staying in Belgium in October, considered “a threat to national security”, in particular for having called for “the burning of Jews” in a video, the government said on Thursday.
Posted at 11:02 a.m.
The information, revealed by the Flemish public channel VRT, was confirmed by the Belgian Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Sammy Mahdi.
Molenbeek
This imam, Mohamed Toujgani, who preached until last year at the Al-Khalil mosque in Molenbeek, one of the largest Muslim places of worship in Belgium, had his residence permit withdrawn “on 12 October “2021, said the services of Mr. Mahdi in a statement.
This preacher “had been contested for some time. In 2009, he again called for the burning of Jews, ”the statement added.
The video had resurfaced in 2019, the VRT, identified that Mr. Toujgan had apologized for these comments, explained “a slippage” linked to “the war” targeted by Israel against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Toujgani, considered an influential cleric, responsible for the League of Moroccan Imams in Belgium, was monitored by the State Security, the Belgian civil intelligence service.
Training of children and adolescents
The Al-Khalil mosque, located in the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek, is generated by the Islamic Mutual Aid League (LEI) which presents itself as “the largest Muslim institution in Belgium”, also including training centers and a school in Arabic language welcoming 500 children and adolescents.
Mr. Mahdi, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, explains that he decided the ban on stay three months ago “on the basis of information from the security services”, and “because of signs d “a serious danger to national security”. This ban is for ten years.
“We will not tolerate those who divide and threaten our national security,” insisted the Secretary of State.
Why this decision in 2021? Asked by AFP, the State Security replied that it “does not communicate information on an individual file for which procedures are underway”.
According to the VRT, Mr. Toujgani is no longer in Belgium at the moment but he hired a lawyer to contest his deportation. The imam, established in Belgium for 40 years, has a wife and children residing in the country, according to the Flemish channel.