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| Europe |
| Belgian Mosque Attacked With Firebombs, Imam Killed |
| 2012-03-12 |
| A man threw a petrol bomb through the window of a mosque west of Brussels on Monday, killing the imam and injuring a second person, Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure reported. The newspaper quoted police as saying a suspect was detained after the attack in Anderlecht and a large crowd of people gathered in front of the mosque. Police were not immediately reachable for comment. Belgium has a Muslim population of about 500,000 out of a population of nearly 11 million and there are occasional acts of violence between communities, particularly in areas such as Anderlecht. Derniere Heure said the victim, 46, was treated by emergency services at the scene but died of smoke inhalation. In December, a gunman killed seven people in the eastern city of Liege after detonating a hand grenade and firing rifle shots into a crowd of Christmas shoppers. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #3 As I recall, Anderlecht was one of those gritty, blue collar neighborhoods that are so picturesque in the movies. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2012-03-12 23:31 |
| #2 Red on Red? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2012-03-12 21:17 |
| #1 22 September 2011 - A sharia court has been established in Antwerp, Belgium, by a radical Muslim group called Sharia4Belgium. Leaders of the group say that the purpose of the court is to create a parallel Islamic legal system in Belgium in order to challenge the state’s authority as enforcer of the civil law protections guaranteed by the Belgian constitution. The sharia court, which is located in Antwerp’s Borgerhout district, is “mediating” family law disputes for Muslim immigrants in Belgium. Legal experts say that the Islamic court will also undercut the state’s ability to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of so-called honour crimes. In 2007, for example, Belgium outlawed the practice of forced marriage. Those convicted of forcing someone into marriage by violence or coercion face a prison sentence of up to two years and a fine of up to €2,500 ($3,500). This law is likely to be undermined as Muslim marriage disputes come under the jurisdiction of the sharia court. Sharia4Belgium says that the court in Antwerp will eventually expand its remit and handle criminal cases as well. Sharia4Belgium consists of Islamists who are committed to bring everyone living in Belgium (including all non-Muslims) under the authority of sharia. Its website issues an invitation calling for all Belgians to convert to Islam and submit to sharia or face the consequences. The group is linked to Anjem Choudary, leader of Muslims Against Crusades, an Islamist group in England that recently announced a project to establish self-governing sharia-controlled enclaves across the United Kingdom. In November 2010, Belgian police arrested three members of Sharia4Belgium in a counter-terrorism operation. The suspects were using the Ansar al-Mujahideen jihadist website to plan an attack on Belgian soil. Muslims make up around 10% of Antwerp’s population, and the city has long been a hotbed of radical Islam. Some estimates claim that more than half of the mosques in Antwerp are controlled by radical Muslim groups, including the Deobandi sect. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2012-03-12 20:49 |