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Johan Leman, 20 January 2024

A few weeks ago, the Flemish community rightly noted that there is actually no alternative to the Muslim Executive yet.

It is now the case that an administration is needed to appoint teachers of Islamic religion, and to keep inspection possible, a.s.o…. to regulate everything that is needed in managing the status of teachers.

Faced with this situation, the Flemish government has shown common sense. It has neither revoked the suspension of the Muslim Executive (- which, by the way, it cannot do, because that is federal matter), nor appointed the body newly created by the former justice minister for this important function (because that new body has no basis (yet?)). Consequence: one has reconfirmed the administration designated by the Muslim Executive and working under its authority, without reconfirming its employer. In other words, something like a separate administration made up of Muslims has been designated, which apparently now falls directly under the minister. So de facto this is actually what is more or less common in Turkey. A Flemish Diyanet has been created.

Is this constitutional? I do not know. Does it show common sense in the circumstances? Yes. But sooner or later there should be a parliamentary debate on this, isn’t it? I wonder how one solves it in the French Community…

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