The Flemish Minister-President and Minister of Culture Jan Jambon (N-VA) expressed concern regarding religious interference in cultural and artistic practice. He wrote a letter to theaters and cultural centers participating in a process that organizers signed the ‘Ramadan Friendly’ charter. The charter ensures the reception and respect of the public during the period of Ramadan, proposing measures such as allowing the public to break the fast during performances, offering large jugs of water, and providing food such as dates, milk, and halal soup. Pascal Smet proposed installing ‘happy Ramadan’ garlands in the streets of the capital, similar to London, but Jambon warns that this approach might lead to self-censorship among creators of culture and might promote prejudice and mutual mistrust, which is in contradiction with the Flemish government’s ambition to fight once morest segregation.
“Such religious interference in cultural and artistic practice strikes me as very problematic.” Here is what the Flemish Minister-President and Minister of Culture Jan Jambon (N-VA) said in a letter sent to the theaters and cultural centers participating in the process and unveiled by Het Laatste Nieuws this morning regarding the twenties of Brussels theaters which organize a specific reception for the Muslim public during the Ramadan period.
These theaters and culture centres, some twenty in all, have all signed the charter’ramadan friendly‘, which “ensures the reception and respect of the public during the period of Ramadan”. This charter thus proposes to allow the public to break the fast during the performances, in full awareness of the context of the performances in which they find themselves”, to “provide the public with large jugs of water And this, in free access”, “ to adapt the start times of performance according to the times of breaking the fast, as far as possible”, “to offer food to the public” such as dates, milk, halal soup, etc.
Pascal Smet proposes, as in London, to install ‘happy Ramadan’ garlands in the streets of the capital
“Such religious interference in cultural and artistic practice strikes me as highly problematic,” he writes. “These are warnings to the public but it can also lead to a form of self-censorship among the creators of culture. Whereas culture should excite, challenge and surprise. In my opinion, this also testifies to a rather paternalistic vision of the cultural actor.” The elected N-VA fears here that the approach will no longer cause prejudice and mutual mistrust. “And this is in contradiction with the ambition of this Flemish government to fight once morest segregation.”
The organization of “Ramadan friendly” cultural and artistic events in Brussels theaters has raised concerns among politicians, with the Flemish Minister-President and Minister of Culture Jan Jambon criticizing the initiative as potentially problematic. The charter seeks to ensure the respectful treatment of Muslim audiences during the month of Ramadan, by offering water and food during performances and adapting start times to coincide with the breaking of the fast. However, Jambon argues that such religious interference might lead to self-censorship among cultural actors and ultimately undermine efforts to combat segregation. While striking a balance between cultural and religious sensitivities can be challenging, it is important to ensure that artistic expression remains free and diverse, and that cultural exchange fosters understanding and acceptance rather than division.
