2023-07-12 17:40:33
After Buddhism, which is going to be recognized as a non-denominational philosophy in Belgium (the final vote must take place next October), it is Hinduism which is on the launching pad for official recognition as well, but as a religion . On July 19, the chamber must in principle validate in plenary a vote (already acquired in the Justice Committee) for the granting of subsidies to the Hindu Forum of Belgium. This subsidy of 41,500 euros will enable it to hire two people in the secretariat (one full-time and one part-time) and to pay the charges for the premises occupied on avenue d’Auderghem in Brussels, for 2023 (from July to December). Annually, this subsidy will amount to double: 83,000 euros. This is only the first step towards a path that promises to be long, perhaps 10 years to obtain final recognition… This first subsidy will allow it to structure itself.
“Second Class Religion”
But why run after this official recognition? “Being recognized by the state is very important on a moral level,” replies Martin Gurvich, executive director of the Hindu Forum of Belgium. “It means that one is accepted as a religion (or a philosophy) which contributes to the well-being of people and that one can contribute to the multicultural development of the country. We will no longer be considered a second-rate religion (or philosophy)! This recognition will also make it possible to obtain material support from the State. In principle, we will be entitled to 1 spiritual adviser (salary paid by the SPF Justice) for 150 practitioners. This corresponds to approximately 300 full-time employees. This will also make it possible to send chaplains to prisons and hospitals. Recognition will also make it possible to obtain financial means from the Regions to maintain our temples and the buildings of the various associations of the Hindu Forum of Belgium (about ten buildings in all)”. And to conclude: “Recognizing Hinduism will make Belgium richer. Because for the moment, only Western religions are recognized”.
According to Martin Gurvich, Hinduism has between 30,000 and 40,000 active practitioners in Belgium. Half are converted Belgians (or Europeans living in Belgium), the other half people from Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh…). Most of them are in the north of the country and in Brussels, but Wallonia is not to be outdone with its famous Radhadesh temple, near Durbuy (see opposite), which shines well beyond our borders.
Yoga, vegetarianism,…
Hinduism is the 3rd most practiced religion in the world. Unlike Buddhism which does not recognize the existence of the soul, of God or of a transcendence, Hinduism believes in the existence of the soul and of a God, even if some traditions do not consider God as a person but as an energy, the God Brahma. Hinduism has close links with vegetarianism (non-violence towards living beings) and also with yoga, and has many currents, even in our little Belgium.
Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2023 at 7:14 p.m.
In 2022, the public authorities financed Belgian religions to the tune of 281.7 million euros: 112 million from the Federal Government (FPS Justice) and 170 million from the Regions and Communities (maintenance of places of worship and accommodation worship leaders).
These figures, published by the RTBF, were given by Jean-François Husson, economist at UNamur and doctoral student in social and political sciences at ULiège. The amounts are distributed as follows: 210,118,000 euros for Catholics (75%), 8,791,000 euros for Protestants (2.5%), 1,366,000 euros for Jews (0.5%), 4,225,000 euros for Anglicans (1.5%), 38,783,000 euros for organized secularism (15%), 10,281,000 euros for Muslims (5%) and 1,408,500 euros for Orthodox (0.5%).
As we can see, the Catholics get the biggest slice of the pie. Some observers believe that the funding system is “archaic, not sufficiently structured and that it allows for different interpretations and… favouritism”.
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