Belgium to hire female theologians to assist Muslim women

Female theologians will soon be able to assist Muslim women in Belgian mosques. The Muslim Executive of Belgium (MEB) plans to hire 18 female theologians and preachers for this plan.

According to Belgian newspaper RTBF, the procedure is underway. These women will be responsible for «spiritually accompanying and assisting women and girls from the Muslim community, but that is not everything».

«The project started several years ago», said Salah Echallaoui from MEB. «We realized that many young girls were affected by the phenomenon of radicalization and that there was a lack of supervision within the Muslim community in general, but among women and girls in particular», he said. He explained that these women would be «almost the same as imams, except for leading prayers».

«These theologians and preachers will participate in the religious life of the community, they will be in and around the mosques, and they will be able to deliver lectures, participate in religious ceremonies such as circumcisions and weddings. They will also be listening to people and solving their couple problems from a religious and theological perspective», he added.

RTBF reported that these theologians and preachers would not depend on a particular mosque; they will be visiting several mosques in the three Belgian regions.