(Yabiladi) [The] Muslim Executive of Belgium (EMB) has urged the minister of justice, Annelies Verlinden (CD&V), not to grant permanent recognition to the Muslim Council of Belgium (CMB), whose temporary two-year accreditation is set to expire in June. In a statement received by Yabiladi on Wednesday, the EMB responded to a request submitted by the CMB, recalling that “four private individuals — neither elected, legitimate, nor representative — were appointed arbitrarily by the former minister of justice without consulting the grassroots community.”
The EMB, which had its official recognition revoked by Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld) through a royal decree on September 29, 2022, stressed that this government-imposed shift “caused confusion and rejection within the community,” especially with the “remote-controlled creation of the non-profit organization CMB.”
