(VRT) VRT News has learnt that last October Belgian asylum and migration secretary Sammy Mahdi (Flemish Christian democrat) withdrew the residence rights of Mohamed Toujgani, the head imam at the Al Khalil Mosque in the Brussels borough of Molenbeek. Al Khalil is Belgium’s biggest mosque. The minister was acting on information from the security services showing that the imam posed a serious threat to national security. Toujgani had been in Belgium for nearly 4 decades. He has been banned from the country for ten years but is appealing.
Toujgani’s residence permit has now been withdrawn and he has left the country. The Moroccan is seen as one of Belgium’s most influential Muslim preachers. Mr Mahdi has confirmed the news but shied away from providing any further details about the nature of the threat.
