Islam in Belgian prisons: VUB research nuances 'radicalisation focus'
Behind bars, religion is more often a source of strength, meaning and transformation
Islam in European prisons is often presented as a security concern, a possible breeding ground for radicalisation. While these concerns play a role in policy and public debates, Elias Woodbridge's doctoral research at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel shows a more nuanced and complex story. After years of research in three Flemish prisons, Woodbridge shows that religion is not a security risk for many Muslim men, but rather a foothold. It is a way to survive, reflect and redirect their lives within a context where often little emotional and psychological help is offered.
Based on 50 in-depth interviews, field observations and a unique co-written article on Ramadan, the study shows that Islam often offers moral direction and emotional balance. Fasting, prayer and mutual support help men find structure, purpose and brotherhood. Woodbridge, an unbeliever himself, traced for his research how Islam became inextricably linked to terrorism and extremism, among other things. Through an analysis of 20 years of parliamentary debate in Belgium, Woodbridge reconstructs how this shaped the image of Islam in public discourse, but also influenced prison policy. "As a result, Muslims' faith is too often seen as a matter of control and security, rather than as a source of hope and recovery," Woodbridge says. "This is not to claim that there is no possibility of people becoming radicalised or having extremist beliefs in detention, but that the reality is much more nuanced and complex than it is often presented."
At the same time, the research makes clear that religious experience in detention is not without tensions: differences in interpretation, institutional constraints and personal struggles with faith are part of everyday life in prison. With his ethnographic research in two Flemish prisons, Woodbridge shows how religion is regulated, experienced and interpreted there. "Both prison staff and inmates described how the prison context struggles to adequately support religious experience," Woodbridge says. "Access to Islamic chaplains or religious counselling exists but is often dependent on the structure of and opportunities within individual institutions. With increasing issues of overcrowding and staff shortages, this is coming under even more pressure."
The study identifies four religious pathways: rediscovering faith, religious deepening, faith as a plan for the future and experiencing a crisis of faith. The trajectories show that there is much diversity and sometimes ambiguity within Islamic religious experience. Detention turns out not only to be a period of suffering, but can also provide space for change and reorientation of faith.
Woodbridge's research breaks persistent stereotypes about Muslim men in detention. In political and public discourse, they are often portrayed as dangerous, emotionless or hyper-masculine. But in daily practice, Woodbridge sees something different: "Vulnerability, empathy, solidarity and brotherhood are an important part of their lives behind bars. At the same time, the Islamic framework can offer them strategies for dealing constructively with themselves and others."
The study concludes with clear social and policy conclusions: Belgian prisons need a more inclusive, rights-based approach to religion. Islam should not be viewed exclusively through a security lens, but should also be recognised as a religious practice with potential positive power within detention.
The study makes concrete recommendations: better access to religious chaplains, increased religious literacy of prison staff, and policies that guarantee the right to religious experience for all persons in detention. For religion not only provides Muslims with a foothold during detention, but can also be a source of support and comfort for people of other faiths.
For press contact:Dr Elias Woodbridge Vrije Universiteit Brussel E-mail: elias.raymond.m.woodbridge@vub.be, +32477217816
