A verse from the Quran that explicitly calls on Muslims to kill and take Jews captive was reportedly recited last week inside the walls of the Belgian parliament building.
The Jerusalem Post reports an imam was responsible for the recitation on Tuesday.
The outlet said the Quran excerpt is verse 33:26 from the Al-Ahzab Surah (chapter). It reportedly translates to:
And He brought down those from the People of the Book who supported the enemy alliance from their own strongholds, and cast horror into their hearts. You ‘believers’ killed some, and took others captive.
Within the Quran, Jews are referred to as the “People of the Book.”
The event was not organized by the parliament, but rather at the initiative of Hasan Koyuncu, a member of parliament within the Socialist Party and vice president of the Francophone Parliament in Brussels The Friends Of Brussels Association were also involved.
MP Theo Francken, critical of the organizer of the event, posted on X, formerly Twitter, “This man invited that imam. He is deputy speaker of parliament. Can he stay that way?”
Secretary of State of the Brussels Capital region Nawal Ben Hamou reportedly left the event during the incident.
File/General view of the facade of Chamber of Representatives, one of the two chambers in the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Israel’s ambassador to Belgium Idit Rosenzweig commented on X that she is “absolutely horrified” over the incident.
“He could have chosen anything else, not a frightening symbolic message to anyone who knows the Quran, straight from the parliament podium… in Brussels’ parliament, a city with 18,000 Jews who are already experiencing increased antisemitism and fear.”
Read the Jerusalem Post report in full here