A Moroccan imam, Mohamed Toujgani, was banned from staying in Belgium in October 2021, seen as a threat to national security, notably for calling for the burning of Jews in a video. The information, revealed by the Flemish public channel VRT, was confirmed by the Belgian Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Sammy Mahdi.
This imam who preached until last year at the Al-Khalil mosque in Molenbeek, one of the largest Muslim places of worship in Belgium, had his residence permit withdrawn on October 12, 2021. This preacher had been contested for some time. In 2009, he once more called for the burning of Jews.
The video resurfaced in 2019. Mr. Toujgani apologized for the comments, citing a slippage linked to the war waged by Israel once morest the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Mr. Toujgani, considered an influential cleric, responsible for the League of Moroccan Imams in Belgium, was monitored by the State Security, the Belgian civil intelligence service.
Sammy Mahdi explains that he decided the ban on stay three months ago on the basis of information from the security services, and because of signs of a serious danger to national security. This ban is for ten years. “We will not tolerate those who divide and threaten our national security,” insisted the Secretary of State.
According to the VRT channel, Mr. Toujgani is no longer in Belgium at the moment but he seized a lawyer to contest his deportation. The imam, established in Belgium for 40 years, has a wife and children residing in the country. The Al-Khalil mosque, located in the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek, is managed by the Islamic Mutual Aid League (LEI) which presents itself as the largest Muslim institution in Belgium, also having training centers and an Arabic language school. welcoming 500 children and adolescents.
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