“There is a revival of religion, a re-Islamization from below,” says political scientist and historian Joel Kotick. “This is especially evident among young people, because they come into contact with education, which becomes an area of conflict.” Kotick points out that young people are more religious than their grandparents, a trend he also sees in the Arab world. “Maybe this has to do with a kind of disappointment, and with the difficulties that countries like Egypt, Morocco and Israel face in development.”
Read also: Belgian youth are increasingly subject to selfie TikTok bans
Radwan Attia, a religious teacher and Islamic scholar, is not just referring to families: “Many parents are powerless against the radicalization of their children. We have to look at friendships, social media and extremist imams. Young people are looking for power, but this can lead to A divided society and the return of religious extremism.”
Maud, a history teacher, sees religion as a source of support for young people who have lost their way and are afraid of the future and hell. According to her, schools are easy targets: “There is an active Islamic ideology that focuses on schools because they are the place where minds are formed,” warns Laurence Daunt, co-author of the soon-to-be-published book God Created. There is no work in my class.”
Many teachers are concerned about extremism. “What you hear sometimes is shocking,” Alicia says. “During the attacks, some students in the class applauded. I found the name of the Tunisian gunman who killed two Swedes on the blackboard.” “Some support the behavior of Afghans towards women.” A father called Alicia racist when she confronted his daughter about wearing the abaya, which is banned at school. “I have to explain how we live in Belgium, when that is not my job.”
Read also: Iranian influence: Shiite doctrine is gaining momentum among Moroccan women in Belgium
Education Minister Valerie Galatini is working on a new contract between schools, parents and students. There will be a reporting point for teachers struggling with self-monitoring and a “respect scale” to measure the experiences of 130,000 teachers. The minister promised, “Based on the results, we can propose solutions.”
