capital. These attacks come just a few days after the capture of Salah Abdeslam, one of

the terrorists involved in the recent Paris attacks. Abdeslam was found in a controversial

Belgian neighborhood known for Muslim extremism. With terrorist activity both starting and

ending in Belgium, we wanted to know, why do so many terrorists come from Belgium?

Well, over the past few years, more than 500 Belgians have reportedly left their country

to fight alongside Sunni extremist terror groups in Iraq and Syria. And while other

European countries face the same issue, Belgium produces considerably more foreign fighters

per capita than any other nation in the European Union: Roughly 46 Belgians for every million

residents become foreign fighters, compared to just 18 per million for France, and even

28 per million for Palestine.

And while there is no clear concrete reason why Belgium has a disproportionate share of

extremists, there are a few proposed explanations. One contributing factor is the neighborhood

of Molenbeek. This is a predominantly Muslim area, with a very high percentage of foreign

residents. This neighborhood has been implicated in at least three terror attacks since 2014.

Following the Paris attacks, the now-captured Abdeslam was able to hide with the help of

neighborhood residents. Police have been attacked in the neighborhood, and even stabbed by Belgian-born

extremists, with little recourse by law enforcement.

Another proposed reason focuses on the actual Islamic teachings found in Belgium. Belgian

security agencies suggest that Saudi Arabia has a large hand in sponsoring their sect

of Islam in Brussels, called Wahhabism. This ultraconservative, fundamentalist branch is

followed by terror groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda. The Great Mosque of Brussels, the largest

in the country, is sponsored by Saudi Arabia.

But one of the biggest factors in Islamic extremism in Europe is the two-sided isolation

encountered by foreign residents. As in France, incoming ethnic minorities often find themselves

living in poorer regions, and separated from long time residents. In neighborhoods like

Molenbeek, the unemployment rate is around 30% and even higher for the youth. And while

right wing parties use minorities as a scapegoat for crime, violence, and cultural disruption,

left wing parties ignore religious intolerance. Not only does this polarize Muslim communities,

but it also further alienates everyday Muslims, who see little support from either side. Without

moderate empowerment to stand up against extremism, extremism flourishes.

On top of all that, Brussels is a central target for terrorism, as it hosts both the

EU and NATO headquarters. In the end, while Belgium does have a disproportionate number

of foreign fighters and terrorists, the problems faced by the country are not unique. Other

European countries like France and Germany struggle with many of the exact same issues.

But Belgium may be the country suffering the most.

This isn’t the first time Wahhabism has been tied back to terrorist organizations

— and it also has a huge influence in Saudi Arabia. Learn more about the strict ideology

in our video at the top. To find out why so many foreign fighters have joined ISIS, check

out our video at the bottom. Thanks for tuning in to TestTube News! Make sure to subscribe

so you can watch new videos every day.