“The city is the smallest society that can be perfect or virtuous and lead to happiness for its inhabitants.” Taking this quote from the Islamic thinker Al-Farabi as its starting point, Moussem Nomadic Arts Centre is organising a series of five discussion evenings on coexistence in the city, with its diverse communities and beliefs. Each time, we will focus on the ideas of a major Islamic thinker, reflect on a specific theme and invite an artist to articulate their vision of the virtuous city.

#5: HOW REPRESENTATIVE IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY? Sat 17 May – 8.30 pm at CC Berchem

On the eve of the elections, we ask ourselves whether we can still consider our democracy to be representative. A large influx of diverse minorities is creating a very different social balance today. What is the state of their representation within our political system? We put the question to three leading thinkers.

Eric Corijn, Professor Emeritus and former Professor of Social and Cultural Geography at the VUB, and currently Director of the Cosmopolis research group, discusses urban democracy. “How can we politically regulate this changed reality?” asks Corijn. He advocates for an urban democracy, with a social order based on all communities.

Nadia Fadil, a sociologist affiliated with the Interculturalism, Migration and Minorities Research Centre, speaks about political participation and political trajectories within the Muslim community in Belgium.

Zihni Özdil (social historian, Erasmus University Rotterdam) teaches world history and is conducting PhD research on Turkish secularism. He regularly writes articles on topics such as political economy, migration, citizenship and the Middle East. He will be speaking on the representativeness of Dutch democracy.

We conclude this fifth edition with The Virtuous City according to writer and stand-up comedian Joost Vandecasteele.

#4: LEARNING IN THE CITY Sat 26 April – 8.30 pm at CC Berchem

The acquisition of knowledge is one of the pillars of the virtuous city in Al-Farabi’s theory. Numerous studies, including the latest PISA report, show that the Flemish education system scores very highly in reproducing socio-economic inequality.

Hans Van Crombrugge, Professor of Family Pedagogy and lecturer at HUB, will speak on contemporary Islamic pedagogical thought.

Marc Lacquière, education specialist and educational adviser at the Federation of Moroccan Associations and one of the founders of the IQRA School in Borgerhout, examines the bottlenecks and possible solutions for quality education for all.

Iman Lechkar, lecturer at HUB and researcher at Brussel stroomt door, will show video testimonials from diverse, multicultural pupils and students about their schools, teachers, choice of study, talents, upbringing, barriers and challenges.

Eric van 't Zelfde, author of Read or Alive, part 2, for which he received a European award for innovative education. He is headteacher of the Rotterdam ‘superschool’ Hugo de Groot in the Charlois district and is widely regarded as one of the great innovators in Dutch education.

The Virtuous City according to: fashion designer Rachida Aziz (Azira).

[Read Hans Van Crombrugge’s text on Mohamed Iqbal here](/het-opvoedingsideaal-van-mohamed-iqbal “The educational ideal of Mohamed Iqbal”)

#3: 50 YEARS OF BELGIAN ISLAM Sat 22 February – 8.30 pm at CC Berchem

In 2014, we are celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the presence of migrants from Islamic countries such as Morocco and Turkey. Whilst they were initially welcomed as guest workers, then as migrants, subsequently defined by their ethnicity as Turks and Moroccans, or even as immigrants, since the end of the last century they have become Muslims. Suddenly, only the religious pillar of their identity became visible.

Meryem Kanmaz holds a PhD in social and political sciences and has conducted research into mosques and the formation of religious organisations among Muslim minorities in the diaspora. She is also one of the founders of MANA, the Centre of Expertise for Islamic Cultures in Flanders, and author of Islamic Spaces in the City and co-author of Newly Built Mosques in Flanders. She examines the collective religious organisation of Muslims from Morocco and Turkey and how wider society reacted to the increasingly visible religious practices of migrants. In her lecture, she also reflects on how the migrant community itself dealt with this.

Programme: Lecture by Meryem Kanmaz, followed by a panel discussion between Fouad Gandoul (political scientist and secretary of Empowering Belgian Muslims vzw), Maryam H'Madoun (economist, Muslim woman and activist) and Houssin Ben Hadach (board member and spokesperson for the Berchem Mosque).

Moderator: Iman Lechkar (anthropologist).

The Virtuous City according to: writer and director Bart Van Nuffelen.

#2: YOUNG PEOPLE IN ANTWERP AND BRUSSELS Sat 21 December – 8.30 pm at CC Berchem

In cities such as Antwerp and Brussels, young people form a large and significant demographic group. During this second edition of The Virtuous City, we give them a voice. How do they experience the city? How do they view the city’s problems and challenges? Philosopher and political scientist Bleri Lleshi collected and shared, via his blog and De Morgen, a series of letters from young people about urban life. He will introduce the evening, followed by a contribution from Ted Bwatu (an Antwerp native who recently moved to Brussels), Hannah (born and raised in Antwerp, but has been living in Brussels for several years now), Ibrahim (from Brussels, who has been living and studying in Antwerp for a year), and Amina (from Antwerp).

During this second edition of Deugdzame Stad, Lucas Catherine will provide insight into the thinking of the great Islamic philosopher Averroes. Writer Rachida Lamrabet will conclude the evening with her vision of the Virtuous City.

Layla El-Dekmak will guide the audience through the evening.

Listen to the podcast of Virtuous City #2 here

1 RATIONAL VERSUS RELIGIOUS THINKING IN ISLAM

Sat 19 October – 8.30 pm at CC Berchem**

Dr Jan Van Reeth from the Faculty of Comparative Religious Studies in Antwerp will give an introduction to Islamic philosophy, focusing on the thought of Al Farabi. He will use his book Kalâm, Arabic thought on God and the world, as a basis for this.

Khalid Ben Haddou, Muslim theologian and chair of the Platform of Flemish Imams, reflects on the extent to which critical thinking today can contribute to the development of a modern Islam and how this, in turn, can find its way to young Muslims in our cities.

We conclude the evening with the virtuous city according to author Fikry El Azzouzi.

The evening will be hosted by Layla El-Dekmak.

Read the interview with Mohamed Ikoubaân about The Virtuous City here