Video: Belgium For Dummies: Flemish attempt to 'civilize' migrants sparks outrage

Belgium has long been a safe haven for Muslim immigrants. But a ‘new starter kit’ initiative introduced by lawmakers in the country’s Flemish north teaching Moroccan newcomers what it means to be a European citizen has sparked outrage in the country.

In the Flemish region of Belgium, people stay at home most of the time and don't make noise after 10 pm. Men and women are equal and it's forbidden to hurt someone mentally or physically, including a partner or a child. The Flemish are used to respecting others and recycling their garbage. One must also learn Dutch if they want to be an effective member of the work force.

These are just some of the pointers mentioned in the new and controversial "starter kit" given to the Moroccan government for distribution to its citizens who have gotten the official go-ahead to immigrate to Flanders. It also includes a short video featuring testimonials from recent immigrants who discuss their experiences in the region. Russian and Turkish versions will soon follow.

"What we say to them is, you come in a modern society based on the principles of the enlightenment, with freedoms and rights for everybody, also with obligations, with separation of church and state, with equality of men and women, with no discrimination principles,” explains Geert Bourgeois, the Flemish Integration Minister and member of the nationalist New Flemish Alliance (N-Va) Party. (...)