CCOJB, the umbrella group for Jewish organisations in Belgium,  expresses its ‘’deep indignation’’ at the fact that a sura was sung in the Brussels Parliament, a place of democracy and religious neutrality.

Images circulating on social media showing an imam reciting Quran verses in the Brussels Parliament have caused outrage.

The images date from 13 January. Hasan Koyuncu, Socialist Vice-President of the Brussels Parliament, reportedly invited a delegation from the “Friends of Brussels” association – of which Pakistani imam Muhammad Ansar Butt is a member – to the  parliament on that day. Those attending are said to have received the “Brussels community award”.

The images were shared by Flemish nationalist MP Theo Francken showed the imam on  the speakers’ podium in the parliament, quoting verses from the Quran.

“This is particularly questionable, even shocking,” Francken said. “The separation of state and religion is sacred to me. For someone to come and recite Koranic verses in the parliament of Europe’s capital is reprehensible.”

Another MP, David Leisterh, from the francophone liberal MR party, said: “We have been fighting for the neutrality of the state for years.’’ He demanding that a commission is set up to ensure that the imam is stripped of the distinction he received, to clarify who invited him and to find out whether the imam receives subsidies from the government. The MR also wants to see a list of all the people who received awards to check that there is no conflict with “our fundamental values”.

The President of the Brussels parliament, Rachid Madrane, stressed that ‘’the parliament is the temple of democracy and must remain absolutely neutral.’’

CCOJB, the umbrella group for Jewish organisations in Belgium,  expresses its ‘’deep indignation’’ at the fact that a sura was sung in the Brussels Parliament, a place of democracy and religious neutrality.

It called for the event to be fully investigated, and for appropriate measures to be taken against its organizers.

The CCOJB noted that Imam Muhammad Ansar Butt is not an example of a ceremony honoring people for their integration.

The Jewish organization  denounced ‘’any attempt by radical ideologies to break or influence the balance that enables the different communities that make up the country to live together.’’