![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Since yesterday Belgium has its very own version of Live Aid, but instead of trying to rid the world of hunger, the goal was trying to rid the country of intolerance. What started out as a crazed call for free concerts in Antwerp, to show the world not everyone is part of the extremist right in that city, became a party in four different cities (Antwerp, Brussels, Charleroi and Ghent) to send out a message of tolerance.
In Brussels the concerts took place on the square in front of the royal palace. The sun was shining and the usual suspects flocked together to sing along with almost every Balgian artist that has a bit of a name for himself: Axelle Red, Daan, Starflam, Hooverphonic, Adamo... The crowd was made up of young leftist families, youth groups, older people, all wearing their 0110-badges, showing their tolerance, and not raising their fists against extreme right or flipping the finger, but shaking their booty and screaming out their pride for the cultural differences that make up this world.
Ay, but there's the rub. The obligatory immigrant was standing on stage and not in the crowd on the square. I counted one headscarve, a much more regular sight on any other day. So I talked to Miss Islam today, my colleague and Islam teacher. She thought the concerts were very nice, and had much sympathy for them, but she also gave a very simple explanation: It's Rammadan. Parties and concerts are a no-no during lent, even if they are politicaly inspired and meant to bring people closer together. So let's try this again, when elections don't coincide with Rammadan, because the most meaningful debate held before next week's election sprang from the crazy idea to flip the finger at extreme right.
In Brussels the concerts took place on the square in front of the royal palace. The sun was shining and the usual suspects flocked together to sing along with almost every Balgian artist that has a bit of a name for himself: Axelle Red, Daan, Starflam, Hooverphonic, Adamo... The crowd was made up of young leftist families, youth groups, older people, all wearing their 0110-badges, showing their tolerance, and not raising their fists against extreme right or flipping the finger, but shaking their booty and screaming out their pride for the cultural differences that make up this world.
Ay, but there's the rub. The obligatory immigrant was standing on stage and not in the crowd on the square. I counted one headscarve, a much more regular sight on any other day. So I talked to Miss Islam today, my colleague and Islam teacher. She thought the concerts were very nice, and had much sympathy for them, but she also gave a very simple explanation: It's Rammadan. Parties and concerts are a no-no during lent, even if they are politicaly inspired and meant to bring people closer together. So let's try this again, when elections don't coincide with Rammadan, because the most meaningful debate held before next week's election sprang from the crazy idea to flip the finger at extreme right.
