Who is the Flemish imam prevented from flying through US airspace?
Khalid Benhaddou is the Belgian and Flemish imam stopped from boarding a flight to Mexico because it would cross US airspace. He is the head imam of the El Fath Mosque in Ghent (East Flanders) and the president of the Platform of Flemish Imams.
As an imam he is the leader of the local Muslim community, who also leads prayers in the mosque. He is also an expert is questions regarding Islam and wider society.
Khalid Benhaddou (pictured below) has received numerous honours. In 2017 he received the Human Rights Prize and a year later he was awarded the Flemish Community order of merit, an award bestowed by the Flemish government. In recent years Filip, King of Belgians, has repeatedly shown an interest in Khalid Benhaddou’s work aimed at preventing radicalisation. Various political parties regularly consult him as an expert.
(Our picture top shows a mosque in Ghent)
