Sean DeLacey on Muslim Identity in Belgium

By: Sean DeLacey

April 14, 2009

Coming abroad to Brussels, I knew that it was the seat of the European Union and was thus a fairly cosmopolitan city. However, I don’'t think I was prepared for how unorthodox of an abroad experience it was going to be.
Not only is the city officially bilingual and home to many workers for the European Union, there is also a booming immigrant population that hails from places like Turkey and Morocco. With such immigrant population comes a palpable presence of Islam and Islamic culture within the city. Most of the Muslims that I have met here have been Moroccan, which is representative of their majority in the immigrant population. Since I obviously go to school with Belgians that are my age, it is the presence of Islam within their lives and other young people that truly fascinates me. Most of these Muslims were born in Belgium and are thus Belgian citizens. However, their identity is clearly strongly tied to their origins and their religious identity.

Young Muslims in Belgium are generally more devout and avid about their religion than their parents or Muslims of their age in other parts of the world. The question is why? And the answers of course vary depending upon to whom you speak. One reason cited is that it is a reaction to their reception, or lack thereof, into Belgian culture. It is not surprising, that such a sense of dejection might be felt in a Western European atmosphere that is not only sometimes resistant to the cultural influence of growing immigrant populations, but also seems specifically wary of Islam.

Additionally, in Brussels, where the gap between rich and poor is above average, the Muslim population usually finds itself on the lower end of the income bracket. Of course, the relationship between the city and the Muslim population is not helped by the reputation that many men of such origins have as the greatest harassers of women on the street. I myself have experienced as much or more harassment in Brussels than when in any other European city I have visited. This is not to say that I believe every harasser is a Muslim immigrant or that every Muslim immigrant harasses; I only wish to point out that reputation within the Bruxellois community because I believe it pertains to the relationship between the city and the immigrant population. As a result of such harassment, I know many women within Brussels that hold a general bias against Muslim, or more specifically Moroccan, men. That reputation, I feel, unfortunately negatively affects the rest of the immigrant population. Many Muslims I meet at school feel that there is a general aversion towards Islam in Brussels, but more specifically in the media.

In any case, it is clear that most young Muslims lack a true feeling of belonging to the Belgian community. In addition, though some might feel very connected to Morocco, or any other country of their heritage, the fact that they grew up in another country and another culture will keep many from truly feeling Moroccan. Therefore, there is a search for identity under way that is filled for some by religious identity, which can transcend time and place. In addition, for some Moroccans there is also a disdain for the culture of materialism and racism they believe is fostered in Brussels that draws them back to God and their religion.

Finally, one of my Muslim friends whom I spoke to about this trend had another reaction that I found unique, interesting, and quite apart from other reasons given. He said that many of the immigrants that came over to Brussels did not have decent opportunities for self-development, and only now are their children able to gain more of a proper education. He believes that the more Muslims become educated about their religion and the world around them, the more they will be drawn to Islam.

In the end, though I can certainly see the strong presence of Islam in the lives of Belgian Muslims my age, it is difficult to discern exactly why that is. Like all religious phenomena, some would find the increase in religious activity simply a social mechanism of either drawing back from a community that they find unwelcoming or distasteful, or trying to find a sense of solidarity in unsure times. However, I personally think that it is important not to forget the religion itself and the spirituality of its followers, and not to reduce belief simply to a tool for other ends. I believe that the experience and motivations vary within the community and are complex within each individual as well.
Opens in a new window