Muslim community in Eupen, Belgium, declares anti-Ukrainian jihad

Representatives of the Muslim community in the Belgian city of Eupen declared an anti-Ukrainian jihad after an armed Syrian refugee was killed during a mass brawl in a city park. Journalist Rostislav Demchuk reported this on Facebook.

The incident occurred on Sunday, August 30, 2026. Several Ukrainian families with children were spending time in a city park. Nearby, children from Muslim families were playing soccer. During the game, the migrant children began throwing stones at the Ukrainian children.

The Ukrainian parents stepped in to defend their children. A crowd of about 50 people quickly gathered at the scene, and a mass brawl broke out. The Ukrainians promptly called the police.

One of the Muslim parents, a 42-year-old refugee from Syria, ignored police orders. The man grabbed a long cleaver from a nearby kebab shop and ran toward the Ukrainians with it. Police officers used their service weapons and wounded him, and he subsequently died.

In response to the police actions and the conflict, representatives of Eupen’s Muslim community declared an anti-Ukrainian jihad. Members of the community are openly threatening violence and saying they will kill all Ukrainians living in the city.

Belgian media are widely covering the incident but do not mention the threats from Muslims. Local outlets describe the conflict as a clash between two families stemming from a school dispute between their children. Belgian prosecutors have opened two investigations – one into the brawl itself and another into whether the police officer’s use of a firearm was lawful.

As the UOJ reported, a man in Bila Tserkva was nearly killed for greeting someone with the words, “Christ is risen!”