Belgian Islamist Preacher, Who Praised Taliban, Travels To Afghanistan
Jean-Louis Denis, a Belgian Islamist preacher, who was sentenced to five years in prison in 2016 for recruiting young people for jihad, has traveled to Afghanistan.
Jean-Louis Denis, a Belgian Islamist preacher, who was sentenced to five years in prison in 2016 for recruiting young people for jihad, has traveled to Afghanistan.
His visit to Afghanistan has raised concerns about his possible links to jihadist groups operating in the region.
French television channel TF1 reported that the Belgian Islamist preacher had recently announced in a video that he had traveled to Afghanistan after serving his sentence in Belgium.
He also stated that his goal is to live "according to the principles of Sharia" and "show the true face of Afghanistan".
In the video, which was posted on YouTube, Jean-Louis Denis said that he went to Kunduz. He said he lives near an orphanage and plans to support it with a project.
Denis also claimed that he did not come to Afghanistan to participate in jihad, but rather to implement a project in the field of sustainable agriculture.
Although the Belgian Islamist preacher has said that he does not seek jihad in Afghanistan, he has previously praised the Taliban for "beheading infidels" in his remarks.
Jean-Louis Denis was released in December 2018 after serving his sentence in prison. He was expelled from Benin (a West African country) in 2022 for extremist activities and links to jihadist groups.
Noting that Denis adhered to extremist ideologies even after serving his sentence, the report wrote that his approach may only be a cover for his activities to join jihadist groups and expand their influence.
Denis was involved in recruiting and organising the travel of dozens recruits from European countries to war zones such as Syria.
One of the people facilitated by Jean-Louis Denis was Najim al-Ashrawi, the suicide bomber of the March 22, 2016 attack in Brussels.
While security experts warn of the rise of jihadist groups in Afghanistan, US officials have also expressed concern about the increasing threat of ISIS in Afghanistan.
Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said in a recent statement that he is concerned about the group's attack on the United States as ISIS' presence in Afghanistan increases and wars spread around the world.
A report by independent international organisations shows that ISIS continues to recruit and expand its influence in Afghanistan. According to the UN Security Council report, ISIS has even infiltrated the Taliban's security institutions.
