Minister launches center for Islamic culture in Flanders

Bert Anciaux, Flemish minister of culture, introduced a plan for the building of the Expertise Center for Islamic Culture in Flanders, where both government and the people can go for information about Muslim culture in Flanders. “From a study that I had conducted through Ghent University it appears that the demand for knowledge about Islam…

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Stereotyping in Flanders schoolbooks

The Center of Diversity and Learning from Ghent University recently investigated twelve schoolbooks for stereotyping. Among the assumptions include one textbook that uses all Flemish names, except for one story about an unruly student named _Hassan.’ In another instance, a book about fundamentalism brings up articles about the French headscarf ban as an illustration. According…

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Honor violence under-estimated

According to experts interviewed by Knack magazine, thousands of women and girls in Belgium deal with honor-related violence. Commissioner Marc Van de Plas of the federal police cites 17 honor murders in the last five years in Belgium, notwithstanding the so many other forms of honor-violence: abuse, confinement, kidnapping, forced marriage, etc… Immigrant women are…

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Muslims refuse male gynaecologists

BRUSSELS – More and more Muslims are refusing to allow a male gynaecologist to attend at their wives’ deliveries, says the head of gynaecology at the Brussels University Hospital VUB and the Ghent University Hospital. Various newspapers have reported on the problem. The Flemish Association of Gynaecologists are urging for a strict, uniform policy in…

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