(Brussels Times) A new representative body for Islam in Belgium has been created, with the Muslim Council of Belgium set to come into force this week to replace the scandal-hit Executive of the Muslims of Belgium (EMB).
Belgium’s Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne revoked the EMB’s recognition as one of the state-subsidised religious bodies in 2022 over a lack of transparency, mismanagement and alleged foreign interference.
The EMB had been marred by these accusations since late 2020 when a report by State Security exposed the purported influence of Moroccan and Turkish states on the executive. Moreover, Van Quickenborne had ordered the dismissal of the EMB’s former president Salah Echallaoui in late 2020, after accusing him of being a paid spy for the Moroccan state.
