Belgian Muslim group challenges headscarf ban in top court

BRUSSELS (AA) — The Ghent Mosques Association (VGM) announced on Thursday that it will appeal to Belgium’s Council of State, seeking to annul the reinstated headscarf ban in provincial schools in East Flanders.

According to Belga news agency, the Muslim umbrella body argues that mandatory procedural requirements were not properly followed before the ban was approved. VGM said the participation decree was violated and cited testimonies from teachers who, it said, spoke anonymously out of fear of disciplinary action.

In a statement, the association, which represents 23 mosques in Ghent, described a social climate in which Muslim women are “structurally prevented” from expressing their identity freely and with dignity. It warned that the public discourse surrounding the ban signals a “disturbing shift” in the limits of democratic debate.

VGM also took issue with remarks by East Flanders’ first deputy, Kurt Moens, who told a provincial council meeting on Wednesday that he had consulted the “broad Muslim community” before the decision. The association rejected that claim, saying no consultation had taken place with VGM or its member mosques.

The group further condemned suggestions that opposition to the headscarf ban reflects extremist tendencies, cautioning that such narratives place increasing pressure on freedom of expression.

On Wednesday, the provincial government of East Flanders formally approved the headscarf ban for students in provincial schools. The measure is scheduled to come into force in the 2026–2027 academic year.