 Dyab Abu Jahjah stresses the goal of "Arab unity" |
BBC Radio 4's Crossing Continents was broadcast on Thursday, 3 April, 2003 at 1102 BST.
Meriel Beattie visited Antwerp to meet the man dubbed the Belgian Malcolm X .
He is 31 year-old Dyab Abou Jahjah, whose dream is to create a pan-Arab nationalist movement across Europe.
He rose to fame as a local leader at the end of 2002, when Antwerp's Moroccan community erupted after the murder of a young teacher.
He claims to represent the aspirations of young men from Belgium's immigrant communities, who suffer discrimination at every turn.
Yet other prominent Moroccans in Antwerp say his confrontational style causes more problems than it solves, in a city where the right-wing nationalist Vlaams Blok enjoys substantial support.
Meriel Beattie asked whether the emergence of a charismatic leader in Belgium may have lessons for Britain too.
The programme was repeated on BBC Radio 4 on Monday, 17 March, 2003 at 2030 BST.
Reporter: Meriel Beattie
Producer: Tim Mansel
Editor: Hugh Levinson
One-Minute World News 
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