He gets up, mimes his words, walks, furious at the accusations made against him. “Islamist? Me an Islamist? Did you see the word sharia in my program?” Sits down again, fiddles with the computer on his electric bike, picks up his phone. A second time. “Sorry, it’s Groen, for government negotiations.” Get up, go to “tu”returns to “YOU”takes off his jacket.
Fouad Ahidar runs at a thousand volts. Surprise guest at the election evening of June 9 with three elected officials in Brussels and one in Flanders for his Team Fouad Ahidar list, he could swing a potential majority in the capital as he launched his party in February, following his divorce with Vooruit (about the issue of ritual slaughter). Since then, many have accused him of communitarianism, or even of wanting to impose sharia (like the liberal Guy Vanhengel before reversing course in Free). Parliamentarian since 2004 and president of the Flemish Community Commission (VGC), Fouad Ahidar defends himself and confides in the reasons behind his electoral victory that no one had envisaged.
Three elected officials in Brussels and one in Flanders: how can we understand the unexpected success of the “Team Fouad Ahidar”?
How do you explain your success? What is it called?
First of all, you know that I have been in politics for twenty years and have therefore built an important network. Then, I kept the same number for 22 years. And everyone has it, it was posted everywhere, people could call me, send me messages. I received thousands, I responded to them, I recorded numbers. It was madness. WhatsApp has been a great tool for this. I created 60 groups of 256 people. I transmitted my program and videos there, which were then shared by my contacts. We were hardly invited in the media, we had little display space, no money, but we were able to beat giants with a lot of resourcefulness and commitment. When they saw me, people said: “Look, it’s Fouad. He has a new party, he no longer depends on anyone.” Because I was in a party (Vooruit) where there was a problem every time. Five years ago, there was controversy between Uber, taxi drivers and Minister Pascal Smet. And so I had the taxi drivers against me. This was no longer the case this time.
Your name has almost become a brand, to the point of choosing it to name your party last February…
It was a friend who works in communications who told me: “Listen Fouad, you have five months to make your new party known. Take advantage of your name which is already generating a lot of interest.”
But how did your name become so well known?
I’m 50 years old anyway. I’m not bad, I’m on social media. I fought on very heavy issues, such as the Euro 5 standard for cars in Brussels, school bullying, security, access to housing, cleanliness, education… These are issues that affect daily life. People remembered it and they also saw that, when it came to religion, we had no problem with believing or not believing. It worked. Then, I know a lot of people, you know: I have always worked in the neighborhoods, I was responsible for a youth center, I worked for nine years in the markets. In the morning, I go to the mosque to pray, then I go to different cafes to have breakfast, I go to Parliament, I have a social service, I have a big family – we are eight brothers and sisters –, I have five children who also have their network…
The socialists regretted that you led a very aggressive campaign against them. Why did you attack the left?
Frankly, I didn’t talk about the PS or any other party. They say I shared fake news, but what? Some of our supporters were able to share things, it’s possible, but I did nothing, organized nothing. I swear to you… well… “scout word”. I don’t dare swear anymore, otherwise people will say again that I evoke God and that I am a dangerous religious person.
The religious question was very present during your campaign.
No, the questions of the headscarf or ritual slaughter were questions among others. People’s concerns are those of everyday life. And then, I always say that I am for the separation of religion and the State, but that it is up to the latter to disengage from religion. Because it is the State today which says whether we can wear the veil, sacrifice animals, finance places of worship… For me, it is up to the population to decide freely if they want to wear a veil, a kippah , a cross or halal eating. As for the question of the veil in the administration, I repeat that no one is neutral. The only thing that must be neutral is the service provided to the population.
Should religions still be financed by the state?
I am in favor of adopting the German system where everyone chooses to which religion or philosophy part of their tax goes.
Did you campaign in mosques?
That’s what my political opponents say, but which mosque have I been to? Let them show me a mosque, just one where I would have returned to present my program and I resign tomorrow. By making such accusations, it is the mosques that they are insulting. That I discussed with people who attend the mosque as others discuss with practicing Catholics, yes. But I haven’t been to any mosque. I do not understand the attacks that I have suffered for ten days, which make me a bad Islamist. I did not run a communitarian campaign. I campaigned with Brussels residents and spoke about their daily concerns. Look at who was on my list, who sent me messages of support: certainly there are people from the Muslim community, but there are people from all origins.
How do you understand these attacks?
These are attacks by sore losers. When I was at Vooruit and I was a small candidate, no one attacked me like that. And when I hear Guy Vanhengel (Open VLD), whom I have known for twenty years, affirm that my program is focused on sharia, before withdrawing, I say to myself that what he is doing is very serious. He adds fuel to the fire because he lost. My daughters told me: “They talk about you in the newspapers, Dad. But who are they talking about? We don’t recognize you there.”
“We are considering putting together a list for the municipal elections in Antwerp, against Bart De Wever”
A complaint has been filed against you because you compared the current action of the Israeli government in Gaza to the Holocaust, on the ZinnekeTV YouTube channel. Do you accept this sentence?
I never said the word “Shoah”. I wanted to say that there are students who have become bad teachers, and that some Jews have suffered atrocities and commit violence today. I myself went to Auschwitz and asked that imams go there to avoid confusion. However, I apologized for the comments you mentioned. I should have spoken differently since they were misunderstood. [NdlR : le verbatim de la vidéo est : “Les juifs sont des élèves qui sont devenus des mauvais maîtres. Ils ont subi, ils ont été persécutés, beaucoup ont été massacrés. […] Today they are doing worse.” ]
Brussels MP Fouad Ahidar (Vooruit) compares Israel’s action in Gaza to the Shoah: “We use practically the same methods as in Auschwitz”
In 2006, you regretted that there was “anti-white racism” in certain neighborhoods. It’s always like that ?
There is racism, period. Everywhere. And it must be condemned wherever it comes from. When someone tells me that they can’t find work because “Belgians are racists”I tell him : “Oh, let’s calm down. Show me your CV first. Afterwards we will talk about racism.” I am for living together. Always. Watch all my videos, my program, all my parliamentary work. Nothing is secret. If they don’t take me into government, they will lose a real ally for living together.
How do you define your party line?
Left-liberal, even if it doesn’t exist (laughter). I want to help people to work, to take responsibility (because that’s what they want), and to organize solidarity when necessary.
Where are the negotiations for the formation of the Brussels government? You have been received by Groen on several occasions…
We continue the discussions. We don’t give up. Despite Good Move which we wish to see again, there are possible areas of common ground with Groen. The difficulty is the refusal of the MR and Défi to govern with us.
Many French speakers voted for you, even though you were running on Dutch-speaking lists. Should we review the electoral system in Brussels?
Yes. It will always be necessary to define a distribution key guaranteeing a minimum number of Dutch-speaking elected officials, but I am for bilingual lists.
Will Team Fouad Ahidar run in the municipal elections?
Of course. We are preparing lists for Jette, Molenbeek, Schaerbeek, Auderghem, Koekelberg, Evere… I was also contacted from Antwerp to put together a list. “If we make a Team Fouad Ahidar against Bart De Wever, it risks making noise”, I was told. I’m meeting people from Antwerp next week to think about this.
Will Fouad Ahidar become Brussels minister? Within the parties, serious reluctance
