Great Mosque of Brussels in the context of Muslim Executive of Belgium


Great Mosque of Brussels in the context of Muslim Executive of Belgium

⭐ Core Definition: Great Mosque of Brussels

The Great Mosque of Brussels (French: Grande mosquée de Bruxelles; Dutch: Grote Moskee van Brussel) is located in the Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark. Originally built in 1897 as an exhibition attraction, it was transformed into a Muslim place of worship in 1978 by Saudi Arabia, which managed it for forty years. From April 2019 to June 2023, it was run by the Muslim Executive of Belgium, close to the Moroccan administration.

The Great Mosque's role as the leading religious institution within the Belgian Islamic community—as well as its intended role as a diplomatic bridge between the Saudi and Belgian monarchies—has been a point of debate since its re-foundation. The mosque is popular with Muslim diplomats and is a popular location for Belgians seeking to convert to Islam. It has also taught thousands of Muslim students.

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Great Mosque of Brussels in the context of Islam in Belgium

Islam is the second-largest religion in Belgium, after Christianity. The exact number of Muslims in Belgium is unknown but various sources estimate that 4.0% to 7.6% of the country's population adheres to Islam. The first registered presence of Islam in Belgium was in 1829, but most Belgian Muslims are first-, second-, or third-generation immigrants that arrived after the 1960s.

View the full Wikipedia page for Islam in Belgium
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