The Brussels Journal is a conservative blog, founded by the Flemish journalist Paul Beliën. It was founded in 2005, and has both an English language section with various international contributions, and a Dutch section. It is published by the Society for the Advancement of Freedom in Europe (SAFE), a Swiss non-profit organisation. Paul Belien was the editor until 2007. The current editor is Thomas Landen.
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The Blog
The Brussels Journal has articles on the politics of Belgium and the European Union. It is a source of news that is independent of Belgian government support.
Belien summed up the raison d'être of the European journalists and writers behind The Brussels Journal as restoring the values of freedom, the quest for Knowledge and Truth to the “consensus-culture” of contemporary Europe. He stated that the journalists 'defended freedom' and noted that the Journal was a 'coalition of individuals' who 'write with an earnest desire for the truth.' He noted that 'what binds us is our defence of liberty and the conviction that the state exists to serve man and never the other way round.'
The Brussels Journal has featured contributions by Diana West, Daniel Hannan, John Laughland, Fjordman, Tiberge, Koenraad Elst, Takuan Seiyo, Jos Verhulst, and Matthias Storme among others. It bills itself as a member of the OpinionJournal Federation but does not appear among the list of members on OpinionJournal's own site[1].
Editorial Stance
The Brussels Journal opposes political Islam[2][3][4], and the growing accommodation of it in the West, especially by governments and authorities[5][6] as well as by the Left[7][8]. It is also a strong supporter of Israel[9][10], and has argued that the nation should become a part of NATO[11]. It has continually highlighted antisemitism[12] [13][14] in Britain and Europe, most especially in reaction to the conflict in Gaza in January 2009[15][16][17].
The Brussels Journal opposes a nuclear Iran[18][19], but has voiced for support for country's pro-democracy movement. It also objects to the EU parliament, which it regards as unaccountable and undemocratic[20].
The Brussels Journal and Vlaams Belang
Paul Belien's wife, Alexandra Colen, is a parliamentary member of Vlaams Belang[21]. However, Belien himself has been at odds with the party at times, criticizing the party for its populism.[22] According to Brussels Journal, it is a nonpartisan publication, and most of its writers, both Belgian and non-Belgian, have no affiliation to any political party or organization.
Racism Charges
Criticism
In April 2006 the Belgian government accused the blog of "racism" and forced the removal of a Dutch language article on the site, "Geef ons Wapens!" (Give us Weapons!).[23] The incident caused the site to shift to English-centric in order to be able to present future such cases to the international media.
After Hans van Themsche's murder spree in Antwerpen, in May 2006, the blog article was accused by the Workers Party of Belgium, a communist fringe party, of "racist propaganda" which allegedly had prepared the ground for the murders.[24] In June Belgian police summoned Belien for questioning regarding several articles he wrote for the Brussels Journal.[25] According to Belien the police continued to invite him in for questioning but he refused to show up.[26]
Support
The Washington Times carried an editorial deploring the stance of the Belgian authorities on August 17, 2006 concluding 'From what we've seen of the English version of the Brussels Journal, the accusations of racism are utterly baseless. Mr. Belien is guilty only of vigorously expressing his opinion, and in many cases it would benefit Belgium -- and Europe as a whole -- to heed the advice from the Brussels Journal rather than to criminalize it.'[27]
Writing for the National Review, Stanley Kurtz wrote "A number of us here in the United States have witnessed, with growing concern, reports of the government of Belgium's harassment of the weblog, "The Brussels Journal." We consider The Brussels Journal to be an invaluable source of information and opinion on matters European. By no means are all of us necessarily in agreement with everything that appears on The Brussels Journal. Nor are all of us by any means traditional Christians. Nonetheless, Americans recognize The Brussels Journal as one of the few web-based sources of European news and opinion from a conservative and Christian point of view, and we consider it essential that all sides of political and cultural questions be permitted a place in public debate."[28]
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Brussels Journal was the first news and opinion site to cover the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy in English, bringing its attention to US bloggers, including Michelle Malkin[29], and the mainstream media. Several news sites and blogs also linked to The Brussels Journal which reproduced the cartoons.
An editorial on the Dutch language Knack magazine accused the blog, along with Jyllands-Posten and Daniel Pipes, of belonging to a neo-conservative conspiracy. According to Knack, Brussels Journal published the cartoons and followed up on them for months in order to cause even the more moderate Muslims to "wake up", preferably violently. The final aim was, according to the magazine Knack, to "make Americans and Europeans believe "that all Muslims are violent and dangerous, after which the clash in Palestine, Iran and Syria can really kick off."[21][30]
References
- ^ http://opinionjournal.com/federation/
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/1744
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3017
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3856
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/1053
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3162
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/2282
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3155
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/1965
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/1194
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3876
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3719
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/836
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/2347
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3745
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3738
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3766
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/2465
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/1304
- ^ http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/865
- ^ a b BRET STEPHENS (August 27, 2006). "The Many Faces of Belgian Fascism". Wall Street Journal. http://www.opinionjournal.com/wsj/?id=110008853.
- ^ Nicolas Raemdonk (2005-11-30). "Liberalisme is geen Fascisme". De Tijd.
- ^ (Dutch) Het Centrum heeft een einde gesteld aan haatartikel van Beliën
- ^ (Dutch) Persmededeling PVDA • Bij de racistische moorden en aanslag in Antwerpen, Workers Party of Belgium
- ^ (Dutch) Politie tevergeefs bij Belien, De Standaard, July 20, 2006
- ^ Belgian Regime Keeps Harassing The Brussels Journal (2), Brussels Journal, August 9, 2006
- ^ Belgian Beef, Washington Times
- ^ Message for the Belgian Government National Review, Stanley Kurtz, August 14, 2006
- ^ http://michellemalkin.com/2005/10/22/the-cartoons-islamists-dont-want-you-to-see/
- ^ (Dutch) Paul Beliën en zijn vriendjes, Knack, February 15, 2006
External links
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