The family of Oussama Zariouh do not want to believe that the latter was proposing to carry out an attack. On Tuesday, Zariouh tried to blow up a suitcase in Brussels Central station, before being shot dead by the military. His father and sister, who live in Nador in Morocco, gave an interview to VRT on Thursday.
His father said that Oussama was not radicalised. He was clear, “He had no sympathies with Islamic State. Moreover, he was certainly not a member of a terrorist group. I would describe him as a moderate Muslim. He was a normal boy who listened to music. He sometimes prayed, although not very often. He was far from being an extremist.”
His family had not noticed any significant change in his behaviour recently. His loved ones had heard him talking on the telephone this month. His sister explained, “He spoke normally, as he had always done.” They both refuse to entertain the belief that he wished to commit an attack. His father explained, “He was planning to come to Morocco this summer to get married. He wanted to change jobs and become a taxi driver.”
The family is demanding evidence that shows that Zariouh wished to commit an attack. They intend to retain a lawyer in Belgium to take on the case. His sister said, “I cannot believe that my brother wanted to commit suicide or assassinate another. He was a caring man.”
The Brussels Times