[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Religious leaders, political figures, and students from a school in Molenbeek gathered together in Brussels on Tuesday 11 Nissan to pay tribute to the victims of the Brussels terror attacks and to send a message of dialogue to fight against darkness.

The ceremony, which was co-hosted by the European Jewish Community Center (EJCC), opened with a moving video message from Walter Benjamin, who was severely injured in the attack at Brussels Airport.

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, General Director of the European Jewish Association called on European leaders to encourage their religious leaders to strengthen those who promote peace and respect.

Seven memorial candles were then lit by assembled dignitaries, including European Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis and Belgian Interior and Security Minister Jan Jambon.

Rabbi Margolin also urged European governments to support religious activities in order to avoid funding of radicals from foreign countries and to demonstrate zero tolerance toward racism and incitement

He denounced the embedded ideology behind these attacks which, he said, reveals a misinterpretation of religion, lack of investment in education and tolerance toward incitement “that has deadly consequences.’’

At a time where Jews are called to leave the continent and go to Israel, he on the contrary asks European Jews ‘’to stay in Europe.’’

‘’It’s highly time for the entire communities to reconnect and build bridges rather than walls. Building bridges only produces hatred,’’ was his message.

Also addressing the ceremony, Minister Jambon took the opportunity to ask all religious communities to fight together and stressed that ‘’terrorists cannot destroy our society.’’

‘’We have to protect our norms and values with everything we have got’’ he added as he mentioned the fact that ‘’we have lived for too long in the illusion of the protected island where peace is self-evident.’’

Safdi Redouan of the Platform of Flemish Imams mentioned that ‘’the virus called IS not only threatening non-Muslim communities but all mankind and perhaps mainly Muslims. Rather than pointing the finger to the other we must move from exclusion to participation of the Muslim community.’’

In order to insure our future, we need to act with firmness together with all religious and non-religious communities to defend the values of enlightened democracy, concluded Philippe Markiewicz, President of the Consistoire Central Israélite de Begique.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)