"1 in 4 Brussels residents has Islamic roots"

The study is called "L'Iris et le Croissant" and was carried out by Felice Dasetto, a sociologist and a professor at the UCL. He has a track record of 30 years in issues relating to Muslims, the mix between different cultures and radicalisation.

His large-scale research shows that over 250,000 Brussels citizens, a quarter of the local population, has Islamic roots. Brussels accounts for half of the total number of Muslims in our country. The figure puts Belgium among other European cities with a big Muslim presence like Birmingham in England.

The Islamic presence becomes more and more visible: there are more mosques and minarets, more women wearing a veil and more Muslim organisations. The study points out 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. Only football can get more people out of their homes.

Researchers also warn that ultraconservative wings in the Islam are gaining more ground in Brussels.