LOC18:26
15:26 GMT
BRUSSELS, Nov 18 (KUNA) - More than 250,000 residents out of a total
population of one million in Brussels have Muslim roots, according to a study
carried out by the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium and published in
the Belgian media Friday.
The study was carried out by Felice Dasetto, a sociologist and a professor
at the university who is considered to be an expert in issues relating to
Muslims in Belgium.
Brussels the political capital of the European Union accounts for half of
the total number of Muslims in Belgium. The figure puts Belgium among other
European cities with a big Muslim presence like Birmingham in the UK, says teh
study.
It claims that the Islamic presence is becoming more and more visible in
Brussels with more mosques and minarets, more women wearing a veil and more
Muslim organisations.
The study argues that the Islamic faith has the power to mobilise people to
a a very big extent, more than for example the Catholic church or political
parties. (end)
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KUNA 181826 Nov 11NNNN