RE: Problems in Antwerp
BBC World
Belgium charges Arab leader
Abu Jahjah wants Arabic to be an official language
Belgian police have charged the head of an Arab militant group with conspiracy to cause disorder, criminal damage and wounding a police officer in rioting in Antwerp.
The charges against Dyab Abu Jahjah were announced hours before the funeral of a 27-year-old Moroccan immigrant, whose killing on Tuesday triggered two days of riots.
I have no doubt that action is on the way
Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt
Belgian authorities called on the several thousand mourners expected at the funeral to remain calm.
Mr Jahjah was arrested on Thursday after Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt indicated that the Arab European League (AEL) could be banned, and accused it of attempting to set up no-go areas for police.
The AEL described the arrest as a “provocation” but said it would not respond “as we don’t want to be dragged into unnecessary frenzy at this stage”.
Video patrols
The AEL is suing the city’s mayor, Leona Detiege, for libel, after her accusation that it fomented the riots on Tuesday and Wednesday, after the death of the teacher.
Bad cops – the AEL is watching you
AEL flyer
The group last week began video patrols to film Antwerp police, in an effort to record what it claims is racist behaviour.
They distributed flyers under the heading: “Bad cops – the AEL is watching you.”
Mr Abu Jahjah, who was born in Lebanon, has called for Arabic to be recognised as a fourth official language in Belgium, after French, Dutch and German.
The far-right opposition Vlaams Blok, which took 33% of the vote in the last local elections in Antwerp, called for the patrols to be arrested, and for the AEL to be banned.
“If we have to ban this organisation, then we will do so,” Mr Verhofstadt told parliament, stressing that any decision would be based on the rule of law.
Ethnic mix
“I have no doubt that action is on the way.”
Officials are already investigating whether the video patrols breach rules banning private militias.
Earlier this year, there were attacks on Jews in the city, apparently linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
About 30,000 people of Arab origin and 20,000 Jews live in the city of 450,000.
The Vlaams Blok holds 20 seats on the 55-seat municipal council.
Belgian police are still holding 20 youths of North African descent after arresting more than 100 during the rioting earlier this week.
The demonstrators said the killing of Mohammed Achrak, a teacher, was racially motivated.
Police say there is no evidence for this.
A 66-year-old pensioner, described by prosecutors as mentally unstable, has been charged with the murder.
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