12 October 2016

Nearly one in five Flemish Belgians want to ban Islam

Nearly one in five Flemish Belgians believe following Islam should be banned in Belgium.

In response to a public survey conducted by the Flemish public broadcaster VRT and the daily De Standaard, 64 per cent of Flemings said they supported allowing the police to detain terror suspects without a warrant.

The governing nationalist New Flemish Alliance have proposed the idea, though it has encountered resistance from the liberal and Christian democrat coalition.

However, 26 per cent of Flemings oppose the measure.

Responding to the question "Should following Islam be banned in Belgium?" 17 per cent of Flemings polled agreed.

The idea was most popular among the over 55s, blue collar and low skilled workers.

However, half said they believe the presence of Muslim immigrants enriches society, compared to 27 per cent who said it did not.

In addition, 67 per cent said they did not mind being served in a shop by Muslims wearing headscarfs. [The Independent] Read more