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 The Runaway Bride
TIME investigates forced marriage and the torn feelings that it engenders. |
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The Scars of Tradition
Female circumcision is a tradition that many imigrants have not left behind. |
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One Faith Divided
Tradition versus progress. French Muslims cannot agree on the way forward. |
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A Vote of Faith
Can Belgian Muslims find a mainstream political party that accommodates their religious beliefs?
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Heir Apparent
Jean-Marie Le Pen promotes his daughter Marine for the highest office in
his party . |
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E-mail your letter to the editor
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| WIM VAN
CAPPELLAN/REPORTERS FOR TIME |
| ON THE RIGHT:
Moussaoui is taking a new political path for Belgium's
Muslims |
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| A Vote of Faith |
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Belgian Muslims try to find a political party compatible
with their religious beliefs
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By JOHN
MILLER | Brussels |
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Posted Sunday, April 27, 2003;17:15 GMT
Fatima Moussaoui is almost an oxymoron: an Islamic Social
Christian. When the Moroccan-born Belgian entered politics
in 1999, she joined the center-right Social Christians instead
of the Socialists, the traditional home for Muslim immigrants
seeking tolerance and economic integration. She thought the
Social Christians were the only party able to tolerate an
open declaration of faith. "I like to proclaim my religious
beliefs loud and clear," she says. "That's something
that other parties would not allow."
Now her party has changed its name to the more inclusive-sounding
Center for Democratic Humanists (CDH), and Moussaoui has become
its national secretary for integration policy as well as a
parliamentary candidate, running as a family-values conservative— against abortion, homosexual adoption and euthanasia,
"ideas that both Islam and Christianity oppose."
CDH officials admit that Moussaoui and the three other Muslims
on their ticket have little chance of winning one of the 224
seats up for grabs in the May 18 federal elections, but hope
to make inroads among the more conservative of the country's
400,000 Muslims.
While a recent poll showed that 50% of Muslims
intend to vote Socialist, Social Christian parties are second
with 12% — and for each party running, a shift in the
Muslim vote could tip the balance between power and opposition.
Moussaoui's candidacy is at least a small step on the road
to political integration. "Unfortunately, Islam still
scares most Europeans," she says. "And it might
take some time before that changes.
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