The Heart of ISIS Beats in Brussels

"I do not want to change my religion, and it is truly terrifying that people in the street where I live want to change my faith... The radicalism in my neighborhood has depressed me... Islamic fundamentalism forces women to wear hijab and drives away Jews and homosexuals." These words are not about a neighborhood in Syria or Iraq, but rather about an area in the heart of Europe; Molenbeek in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. A neighborhood just six kilometers from the center of the European Union, which has become known as the beating heart of ISIS in Europe following the involvement of perpetrators of the Paris attacks. Before the death of the Paris attackers, those responsible for the Amsterdam-Paris train attack and the Jewish Museum massacre lived in Molenbeek. The speaker of these words is Teun Voeten, a war correspondent who has lived in Molenbeek and spoke months ago in an interview with a Belgian newspaper (L'Echo) about the radicalism in this Brussels neighborhood and the increasing growth of Salafists in the heart of Europe. This war correspondent, who has experience working in Bosnia, Iraq, and Rwanda, fled the neighborhood after eight years. This Dutch journalist describes Molenbeek as a blend of unemployment and religious fundamentalism. However, Molenbeek, which has a population of about 90,000, is not a neighborhood solely under the control of Moroccan Salafists and jihadists. In many streets of this neighborhood, there is little sign of radical Islam. We see ordinary people walking calmly with their dogs, who would likely be very surprised that the media considers their neighborhood the beating heart of ISIS. A psychologist living in Molenbeek tells Radio Farda, "The presence of radical Islam changes from street to street. In one neighborhood, there is no significant presence of extremists, but just a couple of blocks away, everything changes. Women's hijabs become stricter, and the ringtone of mobile phones is Quran verses and 'Allahu Akbar.'" According to Françoise Schepmans, the liberal mayor of Molenbeek, only one neighborhood and a few streets are influenced by fundamentalist Islam, and so far, 30 jihadists connected to Syria have been identified. Like many, she holds the policies of Philippe Moureaux, the former socialist mayor of Molenbeek, responsible for the growth of Islamic radicalism. Moureaux, who was mayor of this neighborhood for nearly two decades, considered Molenbeek a "social laboratory" and, according to some, including the current mayor, made no effort to integrate immigrants into Belgian society or even teach them the French language. The lack of control over mosques that preach fundamentalism in Belgium, like many other countries, has been cited as one of the reasons for young people turning to "jihad." Of the 40 active mosques in Molenbeek, only four are officially recognized by authorities as places of worship. The mayor of Molenbeek does not provide a clear explanation regarding this issue. She merely states that it is the responsibility of the federal government to oversee what is said in mosques. She does not explain how this oversight is conducted or how one can monitor what happens in a home where people gather. So far, no one has been able to magically explain the significant presence of Islamist killers in Molenbeek; a presence that existed before the emergence of the "Islamic State" and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The perpetrators of the assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud in Afghanistan and one of the Madrid train bombers are linked to Molenbeek. No one has yet been able to explain why Belgium has sent the highest number of its population to Syria and Iraq compared to its size. The severe lack of control by the Belgian government over jihadists is evident from the fact that 200 of the 440 fighters who joined the "Islamic State" were receiving unemployment benefits from the government for a long time. Some have even returned to Belgium and requested financial assistance. The social laboratory of the former socialist mayor of Molenbeek has turned into a breeding ground for "ISIS" members.