There are currently seven recognized mosques and 17 mosques in the running for recognition in Flanders, according to a response given by Marino Keulen, Flemish Minster for Home Affairs, Urban Policy, Housing, and Civic Integration. Officially recognized mosques can be financed by the provinces, have a right to Flemish subsidies for renovations, and a salary for the imam. Minister Keulen is set to begin a second round of recognitions – of five mosques in Limburg, five in Antwerp, three in East-Flanders, three in West-Flanders, and one in Flemish Brabant – for a total of 17 mosques set to undergo review. Files on these seventeen mosques have been sent to the municipalities, who are required to give a response. The recognition procedure is set to be finished around April of this year, according to Keylen’s cabinet.
