Flemish Minister of the Interior Hilde Crevits (CD&V) has not approved any recognition requests from Diyanet mosques, a decision welcomed by Flemish MP Nadia Sminate (N-VA), who advocates for a comprehensive review of already recognised mosques.
Minister Crevits reviewed 58 applications from local religious communities, approving 26 of them. The remaining 32 were rejected for not meeting the criteria, including all applications from Turkish Diyanet and Milli Görüs mosques, largely due to a lack of financial transparency and absence of sustainable rights to use the worship buildings.
“It is good that no Diyanet mosques are being recognised. These mosques are directly influenced by the Turkish government and do not fit our vision of independent organised religious services in Flanders,” commented Nadia Sminate.
However, the N-VA politician remains critical. “Despite previous promises, a thorough review of already recognised mosques has yet to occur. The Flemish government must know its partners, with transparency, independence, and respect for our democratic rule of law as central tenets. The review is apparently scheduled for the autumn, which is not a moment too soon.”
Minister Crevits indicated on Tuesday that existing religious communities will also undergo screening by the Flemish Information and Screening Service (ISD). Should serious indications of regulatory issues arise during inspections, intervention can occur, the minister stated.
