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| Europe |
| Belgium wants stricter control of mosque funding and administration |
| 2003-07-07 |
| BRUSSELS â Flemish Minister for the Interior Paul Van Grembergen has asked for stricter control of the funding and administration of mosques in Flanders. Roman Catholicism has a long tradition of local management of its churches and buildings in the region, laid down in a 200-year-old law, and Van Grembergen now wants mosques to be managed in a similar way by local mosque councils. âStrict bookkeeping and accountability for use of funds should make the funding of mosques more transparent,â Van Grembergen said. Transparent turbanosity! It is claimed that foreign sources and authorities, some of them of a fundamentalist nature, fund some mosques in Flanders. Islam is one of the six religions officially recognised in Belgium and eligible for state subsidies. The new regulations will apply to all recognised religions. This will be a very difficult policy to implement, but extremely worthwhile if it can be done. I wish them luck and thank the Belgians for some good common sense. |
| Posted by:seafarious |