How could a 14 year old foresee an armed attack here?
This is the question that the faithful of the Annajah mosque in Molenbeek are asking themselves today
Today, the atmosphere is heavy: shock and astonishment after what was reported by the media. The police are very present, but the prayers take place almost as if nothing had happened. The imam devoted a short sermon to this matter.
Some faithful confide on the microphone their concern about a rise in Islamophobia. An observation shared by the Muslim Council of Belgiumwho appeals to the authorities:
“We work with chaplains in prisons, with imams and teachers of Islamic religion to raise awareness about the prevention of radicalization. But this must be a much broader work, obviously. We also call on teachers, educators and parents — who are on the front line with young people — to detect weak signals among adolescents in difficulty. We must take the necessary measures before it is too late.”
-The Council also calls for strengthening the protection of places of worship and for their part, the authorities want to be reassuring: the young person arrested would have acted alone. There would no longer be any immediate threat, particularly against mosques.
■ Reporting from Thomas Dufrane, Béatrice Broutout and Stéphanie Mira
Belgium
