SOO MAAL Posted July 26, 2005 Islam on rise in Belgium BRUSSELS, July 26 (UPI) -- Islam is becoming an increasingly popular religion in Belgium, with some four hundred converts last year. The Islamic Centre in Brussels says the reason for the increase in Islam converts may be due to more public interest in the Muslim world after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks against the United States. "People are discovering that we are different from the picture that the media has portrayed," Islamic Centre spokesman Abdel Kadet told the Belgian news agency Belga. Seventy-five percent of the converts in 2004 were women but this is not necessarily because they need to do so to marry a Muslim man, according to the Islamic Centre. On the other hand, converting for love is far more common when a Belgian man falls head over heels in love with a Muslim girl, Adbdel Kadet said. Copyright 2005 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
