Representing Islam, Recognising Islam

Abstract This article discusses the history of and politics surrounding the Grande Mosquée de Bruxelles, using the mosque’s developments to reflect on Belgian state – mosque relations more broadly. I trace the mosque’s original construction as a pavilion to the 1897 Brussels International Exposition, reading this period through Timothy Mitchell’s concept of the “world-as-exhibition”. I then discuss the exhibit’s reconstruction into a mosque, highlighting the ways it has conformed with and departed from what Jonathan Laurence labels “Embassy Islam”. Finally, I examine the contemporary Grande Mosquée’s struggle for state recognition, paying particular attention to the state’s shifting priorities in the wake of the 2016 Brussels bombings. Throughout the article, I show how developments related to the mosque can be understood through the relationship between European representations of Islam and the lived realities of Muslim groups and demonstrate how governance of the mosque both reflects and has consequences for Muslim institutions across Belgium.