Reaction of Mohamed Toujgani following his expulsion from Belgium
“The security services believe that this man must be considered a current, real and serious danger to national security. We are talking about extremism and interference here,” insisted Sammy Mahdi, Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, who withdrew Mohamed Toujgani’s residence permit. The main imam of the Al Khalil mosque is accused of remarks made in a video dating from 2009 but published in 2019, in which he called for burning “Zionist oppressors”. In a statement, the religious leader rejects these accusations which have “no basis”.
To read: Mohamed Toujgani, persona non grata in Belgium
“I remind you that I have lived in Belgium for 40 years, during all these years, all of my work has been to support living together and interreligious dialogue. Whenever tensions arose within Brussels or Belgian society, we were on the front line to alert parents and calm the minds of young people. […] And this position that I defend is widely documented. During the attacks in Brussels, we were struck in the heart and once again, we were present. Moreover, on that occasion, I gave a recommendation against terrorism. Belgium is part of my identity, it is my country, I have lived there more than Morocco, my second country”, he declared.
To read: Belgium: the real reasons for the expulsion of Imam Mohamed Toujgani
Following the announcement of Mohamed Toujgani’s expulsion from Belgium, a petition was submitted online to not only support the Moroccan imam, but also to demand answers from the Secretary of State. “I have visited many mosques. They heard my speeches, and that’s why today they encourage me even if I didn’t ask for anything, it’s on their own initiative and I thank them for it […] But it is clear that they cannot remain silent in the face of such injustice, because it is a flagrant injustice. Asking all these people if I’m a threat to anyone or to national security[…]“, he continued, ensuring that he was never a danger to national security.
To read: Toujgani case: sanctions in perspective against Ahmed El Khannouss?
Mohamed Toujgani also knows that he learned that he was “erased from the commune” when he asked for “a certificate of residence”. Not content with the treatment he received, he intends to appeal the decision of the Secretary of State, because this decision, he says, deprives him of his fundamental rights and freedoms. “This decision has caused me a lot of problems: it has separated me and distanced me from my children and grandchildren, it has separated me from the people I meet and with whom I interact a lot, it has distanced me from mosque. »