- Concept took shape four years ago after similar Ramadan decorations appeared in London
- Organizers say initiative has sparked curiosity and dialogue, helping residents learn about Ramadan
GHENT, Belgium
In a national first, Belgium’s city of Ghent has illuminated two of its busiest shopping streets with festive Ramadan lights, casting a warm glow over the Muslim fasting month while highlighting a growing spirit of intercommunal solidarity.
The initiative, led by the Association of Ghent Mosques (VGM) in collaboration with local shopkeepers, has transformed Bevrijdingslaan-Phoenixstraat in the Brugse Poort district and Wondelgemstraat in the Rabot neighborhood into glowing corridors marking Ramadan.
Installed in the days leading up to the holy month, the lights will remain in place until the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of Ramadan.
"This is an initiative that is a first of its kind in all of Belgium, nowhere else have the lights been hung up in Belgium," Mohamed Abd El Motleb Omar, chairman of VGM, told Anadolu.
The concept took shape four years ago after similar Ramadan decorations appeared in London. Local merchants later mandated the association to handle the procedural and operational aspects of bringing the lights to Belgium, including securing permits.
"It wasn't financed by the city council. It was 100% financed by the local merchants," Omar stressed.
VGM represents 23 mosques across Ghent and works to support the Muslim community while fostering cooperation among diverse congregations, including those of Turkish, Moroccan, Afghan and Pakistani origin.
"What we are trying to do is to organize different activities that bring together the board members of the mosques as well as, of course, the communities of Ghent," he said, pointing to the association’s annual large-scale iftar dinners that unite residents of diverse backgrounds to break the fast together.
Lights spark curiosity and dialogue
The decorated streets are known for their vibrant commercial life and a significant number of shop owners with Muslim backgrounds. According to Omar, the streets are especially lively during Ramadan evenings.
"The reactions were mainly positive... No issue, even from the right," Omar said. "It's an initiative that has really far more positive reactions to it than I even have expected."
He noted that the display has encouraged conversations among residents.
"I've already heard from local merchants and people in these streets that people really came to ask, what are these lights for? And what is the month of Ramadan? What does it mean? Why do you fast? And so it really brings together people, where in other places and other moments, perhaps these people wouldn't even speak to each other, or even know that a month such as the month of Ramadan exists," Omar explained.
Omar said he hopes other Belgian cities will adopt similar initiatives. "It will help foster a very collaborative way of living across different groups."
‘Positive sign to community’
For many locals, the lights carry deep symbolic meaning.
Nain, who has lived in the neighborhood since childhood, described the display as a meaningful gesture in an area long known for its multicultural character.
"It's the first year that we have special lights for Ramadan. I think it's a very positive sign to give to the community... that they belong here, and that they can feel respected," she told Anadolu.
"This neighborhood has been widely known as a multicultural environment... We have Belgian bakeries next to Turkish bakeries, but we see that the Turkish people also go to the Belgian bakeries," she said.
Drawing a comparison to Christmas decorations seen throughout the country, she added: "Belgium has become a country where multicultural people live together in every city ... For the Christmas holidays, we see decorations in every city. Why not see Ramadan decorations in every city?"
Sense of ‘belonging’
Moussa, a Ghent resident who converted to Islam 15 years ago, said growing up in the New Ghent neighborhood, where many Muslims lived, first sparked his curiosity about the faith.
He said studying Islam helped him find answers to profound questions about life, the afterlife and the existence of a Creator.
"Islam has all the answers, the answers to the questions of life. I always ask why we live the next life, where do we go? I found in Islam the truth. Islam is for me, the religion also comes with proof... I found Islam something very important, that's tranquility. I found peace in Islam," Moussa added.
He said the Ramadan lights help create a sense of belonging during a month that can otherwise feel less visible in a non-Muslim-majority country.
"In Belgium, it's normal that we are not an Islamic country. Sometimes you're feeling (that) you're missing the feeling of Ramadan," he said.
"At home, in the mosque, you see it, but if you go at the street, you see nothing. (I) visited Istanbul, at the last day of Ramadan, it was beautiful. You see the light. Then here you don't see it... That's why, if you see the light, it gives you a feeling of peace, of happiness," Moussa said.
Recalling his first Ramadan after converting, Moussa said the experience was difficult, particularly while living in a non-Muslim household.
"Normally, for people who convert to Islam, Ramadan is a little bit lonely," he said, adding: "In the mosques, you find the atmosphere there. You find a lot of people, lot of friends. You pray together."
