On March 22 2016, ISIS terrorists killed over two dozen people in Brussels - Belgium’s
capital.
These attacks come just a few days after the capture of Salah Abdeslam, one of the terrorists
involved in the recent Paris attacks.
Abdeslam was found in a controversial Belgian neighborhood known for Muslim extremism.
With terrorist activity both beginning and ending in Belgium, we wanted to know, why
do so many terrorists come from Belgium?
Well, over the past few years, more than 500 Belgians have reportedly left their country
to fight alongside Sunni extremist terror groups in Iraq and Syria.
And while other European countries face the same issue, Belgium produces considerably
more foreign fighters per capita than any other nation in the European Union: Roughly
46 Belgians for every million residents become foreign fighters, compared to just 18 per
million for France, and even 28 per million for Palestine.
And while there is no clear concrete reason why Belgium has a disproportionate share of
extremists, there are a few proposed explanations.
One contributing factor is the neighborhood of Molenbeek.
This is a predominantly Muslim area, with a very high percentage of foreign residents.
This neighborhood has been implicated in at least three terror attacks since 2014.
Following the Paris attacks, the now-captured Abdeslam was able to hide with the help of
neighborhood residents.
Police have been attacked in the neighborhood, and even stabbed by Belgian-born extremists,
with little recourse by law enforcement.
Another proposed reason focuses on the actual Islamic teachings found in Belgium.
Belgian security agencies suggest that Saudi Arabia has a large hand in sponsoring their
sect of Islam in Brussels, called Wahhabism.
This ultraconservative, fundamentalist branch is followed by terror groups like ISIS and
Al-Qaeda.
The Great Mosque of Brussels, the largest in the country, is sponsored by Saudi Arabia.
But one of the biggest factors in Islamic extremism in Europe is the two-sided isolation
encountered by foreign residents.
As in France, incoming ethnic minorities often find themselves living in poorer regions,
and separated from long time residents.
In neighborhoods like Molenbeek, the unemployment rate is around 30% and even higher for the
youth.
And while right wing parties use minorities as a scapegoat for crime, violence, and cultural
disruption, left wing parties ignore religious intolerance.
Not only does this polarize Muslim communities, but it also further alienates everyday Muslims,
who see little support from either side.
Without moderate empowerment to stand up against extremism, extremism flourishes.
On top of all that, Brussels is a central target for terrorism, as it hosts both the
EU and NATO headquarters.
In the end, while Belgium does have a disproportionate number of foreign fighters and terrorists,
the problems faced by the country are not unique.
Other European countries like France and Germany struggle with many of the exact same issues.
But Belgium may be the country suffering the most.
This isn’t the first time Wahhabism has been tied back to terrorist organizations
— and it also has a huge influence in Saudi Arabia.
Learn more about the strict ideology in our video at the top.
To find out why so many foreign fighters have joined ISIS, check out our video at the bottom.
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