Political Islam in Belgium: From Third-Country Activism to the Islamicization of the Political Debate

The first part of the paper highlights the interference and evolutions of several third countries on the institutionalization of Islam in Belgium. While these countries certainly have totally different models of organization regarding the role played by religion in public affairs, they seek both to keep a certain degree of control over those they still see as “their” populations and to preserve their own national interests. The second part investigates the empirical elements that allow us to consider the impact and weight of Salafist and Muslim Brotherhood related movements, while examining the consequences of the public debate around allegations of proximity with political Islam aimed at mainstream Muslim individuals and organizations.