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"We could not imagine ... that these individuals, who were petty criminals, who were delinquents, would transform into violent radicals" (Photo: romain veillon)

Molenbeek mayor opens new front on extremism

This week’s knife attack on police in the Molenbeek district of Brussels once again drew attention to a place that has been labelled a jihadist hotspot.

A 20-year old man, reportedly Algerian, stabbed two police officers on Wednesday (7 September) before fleeing the scene. He was later caught.

Locals say it had nothing to do with Islamic radicalism.

But for her part, Molenbeek’s mayor, Francoise Schepmans, says that radicalisation thrives on other forms of criminality and t...

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Author Bio

Nikolaj joined EUobserver in 2012 and covers home affairs. He is originally from Denmark, but spent much of his life in France and in Belgium. He was awarded the King Baudouin Foundation grant for investigative journalism in 2010.

"We could not imagine ... that these individuals, who were petty criminals, who were delinquents, would transform into violent radicals" (Photo: romain veillon)

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Author Bio

Nikolaj joined EUobserver in 2012 and covers home affairs. He is originally from Denmark, but spent much of his life in France and in Belgium. He was awarded the King Baudouin Foundation grant for investigative journalism in 2010.

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