Flanders (Belgium), April 7, 2003 Es selaammunalleikoem, LS, More news about the (re)construction of the Mosque Nur ul Haram, based in Antwerp (Flanders). On Friday, 4 April a protest march was held. For more pictures and small video files online available: see note below. This text is also available as Word-document. This might be more easy to read. To download it: see link below. Prologue ------------------- Some time ago we wrote: --------------------------------- "A legal battle, set off by the an extreme right group, has been won. Inshallah the construction works can soon be continued without having to change the construction plans as they were approved by the city council." ---- So far so good. However, the City Council of Antwerp; recently forced to step down collectively because of alleged corruption but now back using some 'magical politics'; made it hard to start construction over again immediately. This in spite the "Raad van State" (Sort of Supreme Court) decided after consultation that the construction works could continue without further delay. An organization dealing with the interests of people with a handicap could live with the fact that some corridors in the new socio-cultural centre would be 2,5 cm (two and a half) more narrow as what is set as standard. Handicapped people know what it is to live a life that isn't "standard" and they too can recall what ideas the Nazi's had on dealing with disabled persons. The extreme right party "Vlaams Blok", who had started the whole process in front of court in a shameless effort to stop the construction of the centre, bites the dust once again. City Counsel of Antwerp --------------------------------------- The (renewed/temporarily) City Counsel of Antwerp however made some administrative delays. They followed up on the right wing argument that on the building permit was mentioned a "social and cultural centre" would be build and the word "mosque" wasn't mentioned there. Apparently, the wording can be abused to oppose what is clear for many: a mosque is a social and cultural centre. The already before approved building plans, including large prayer rooms and two minarets, clearly would be identified by a preschooler as a mosque where social and cultural activities, including marriages, classes and lectures, can take place. In particular this mosque/socio-cultural centre will enrich the impoverished neighbourhood and this socially, culturally and by its architectural beauty. The multicultural gathering that held the march last Friday proved its construction has the support of large and diverse groups in society. To make democracy work a protest march was indeed held on Friday, 4 April. A multicultural gathering in support of the mosque ----------------------------------------------------------- The neighbourhood was filled with people who had attended Friday prayer in one of the many mosques that have enriched the metropolis Antwerp. In order to be able to manage the march well and with the strategy in mind to gradually build up support to be mobilized in future actions if needed, our brothers and sisters attending different mosques were informed only about how things were going and what was to come. When it would be needed, it was said next time to mobilize effortlessly at least 5000 persons for this cause; out of Muslim community only already. Already today some people not that close to the mosque Noor ul Haram; Muslims but as well representatives of different Christian churches and Flemish people and immigrants sympathising with our community, attended the March. It is paramount Muslims put their trust in Allah and primarily build their strength on their own community experiences. Two imams of different mosques were also actively present as well as the lawyer of the mosque Noor ul Haram who has a Turkish background. The architect, who seems Flemish, participated too. Hard to think that extreme right would be able to gather such a divers crew for its cause! Even one 'representative' of "UMIVA", a state-backed group claiming to represent our community "in an approved legitimate way", appeared, mentioned that next march they would call for support and then evaporated. On the road ----------------------------- A ribbon surrounding the marchers was a technique used to prevent those not used yet to participate in marches from sliding to the sidewalk. It worked very well. At front of the March was a large banner urging the protection of religious rights. A leaflet in quite a few languages that I'm (not yet) familiar with (Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, Turkish, ???) was distributed. A loudspeaker was used very well. The story about the hapered construction of the mosque was told. Next to that slogans and prayers were heard in different languages. All knew or came to know why the march was being held; and everyone knows Muslims can express themselves in many tongues. Blocked - but not for long ------------------------------------------------ Police on bikes accompanied the march. At a crossroad they wanted to marchers to take a small creepy street in stead of the path that was agreed on. With their 3 bikes they (sort of) blocked the road. Marchers stopped and started to argue with the policemen. A written permission to use the road intended was shown to the men supposed to respect the law. They did not want to give in and of course, neither wanted the marchers to abolish their own rights. Shopkeepers came outside. Bystanders raised questions and started to talk to each others. What appeared to be Flemish housewives and a black woman all agreed it was a scandal the construction of the mosque was hampered for so long already by 'the gang'. To my amazement, all those people were very well informed about what was going on in their city. Maybe the racist leafleting of the "Vlaams Blok" had done some good informational work! While I was talking to a bystander a few woman had come out of their houses. They surrounded the policemen. One of them said in local dialect she already had eight children and was pregnant of her ninth and that if marchers could not fast continue their path she might give birth on spot. The police could not deal with that and the men could slip by their silly blockade of bikes easily. Allahu Akbar ! On our own path - Allahu akbar ! ------------------------------------------------------- The street we now marched trough had many shops on both sides. Many of the shopkeepers, their staff and shoppers and by passers took occasion to see us pass. Some shouted words of sympathy. The crowd sang Islamic prayers, lead by a young man whose dream it is to become muezzin. Inshallah. On the square: speeches, police and flowers ----------------------------------------------------------- Arriving on Sint-Jans Square 4 regular but with metal grills enforced windows, police cars stood ready as well as two larger trucks from the riot squat. All filled to the roof with heavily armoured policemen. We had been expected. It was a quite amazing sight to see all those well-dressed prominent persons, one in western suit others with turban, standing brotherly next to each others on one of the benches on the square to give a speech. All participants were thanked for showing solidarity. A Muslim from Bosnia told me they had seen it all before: first the Tito-regime, next the Serbian hordes and then NATO occupation. He sure knew one has to stand up to get ones rights! A prayer (dua) was made and the gathered community followed the imaam: Bosniaks, people with Turkish-, Pakistani or Arabic background, Flemish housewives, … Police watched closely. At the end of the prayer it was announced flowers would be handed over to the patient policemen (and women). From the moment they heard this announcement the 'bikers', who had tried to lead the marchers to a small back street in order to shorten the march and make their job easier; turned away in shame. Still all, including those in the armoured trucks received flowers. They clearly felt both unaccustomed and pleasantly surprised. Some put the flowers on their uniforms. Some fixed them on the metal grill of their trucks. To the City Hall ! ------------------------------------------------ A delegation of the mosque Noor ul Haram had an appointment with the Lord Mayor and her counsellors after the march. On local television we heard there had been an estimated 220 marchers. Just the own folks of the mosque and some brothers and sympathizers who had joined. In front of the City Hall we made a picture of the delegation. We joked the priest and the female reverent should be on the picture because otherwise a picture with only Muslims in front of the City Hall would be considered way to threatening. The talks with the Lord Mayor & Co are said to have been positive. Inshallah the construction on mosque Noor Ul Haram can continue one of these days. The preparation and the March itself have made us all stronger and better prepared as before to reach out to the community; our own Muslim Ummah as well as our other fellow citizens. May Allah lead us all to a path of peace and prosperity. In the aftermath of the march we visited the temporary housing our brothers and sisters now rent. It's unknown whether or not the lease mentions the place can be used as both a class room, a mosque, a social cultural gathering place etc. Elhamdullilah. Allah has provided us with all we need and surrounded us with many helpful people. Wes-selaam, Gegroet, Ibrahim Hublou Pictures about the march can be seen here: ----------------------------------------------------- http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/aia-forum/lst?.dir=/March+4th+of+April+2003+Antwerp&.src=gr&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/ http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIA-forum/lst Short video files with sound can be downloaded here: ----------------------------------------------------------- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AIA-forum/files/March%204th%20of%20April%2003%20Antwerp/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AIA-forum/files/ There is more news on the construction front: ----------------------------------------------------------- Also in Ghent, an other major town in Flanders, Muslims are building a mosque. More about that here: ----------------------------------- Pictures from those construction works can be seen here: http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/AMA-forum/lst Dig to "Construction works March 2003"