Saint-Jean-Molenbeek (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A 25-second video from Molenbeek’s August 27, 2025, council meeting went viral after Elon Musk shared it. Councillor Saliha Raiss, targeted over her headscarf, accused MR of fueling online racism.
As VRT News reported, a video from the Molenbeek city council meeting on August 27, 2025, has been widely shared online. The clip spread internationally after Elon Musk highlighted a post from the far-right account RadioGenoa on X. The council debate involved Councillor Saliha Raiss, who was acting mayor, and members of the French-speaking liberal party, MR.
The discussion began after MR published a Facebook post on animal welfare in Molenbeek. The post drew many online comments, including racist and Islamophobic remarks. One comment targeted Raiss and said she
“wears a curtain on her head.”
What sparked global attention on the 25s Molenbeek council video shared by Elon Musk?
During the meeting, Raiss criticised MR for not moderating its social media pages. She said party chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez was responsible for the lack of action. Raiss also accused MR councillor Didier Milis of downplaying racism. She warned that such behaviour allows hate speech to grow.
She added that if anyone objected to her “curtains,” they should leave the room. The remark caused mixed reactions in the chamber. The local dispute quickly gained international attention once the video went viral, drawing wider debate on identity, religion, freedom of expression, and the role of political leaders in addressing online hate.
The clip suggests that an alderman wearing a headscarf told Belgians to leave the country. The short video was taken from a debate about racist comments posted under a Facebook message by the French-speaking liberal party, MR.
“working hard to make Molenbeek safer, better, and more livable.” “The hundreds of racist messages won’t stop me,”
Raiss said.
“And I won’t hold back from responding to the MR.”
The story gained international attention when Elon Musk shared the video. The billionaire retweeted a post from the far-right account RadioGenoa, which caused the footage to go viral worldwide and draw coverage from foreign media. Musk’s repost was also notable because of his pattern of promoting controversial material on his own platform X.
In recent months, he has highlighted the campaigns of far-right activist Tommy Robinson in the United Kingdom. He has also urged voters in Germany to support the AfD, a radical right-wing party.
Molenbeek, a Brussels municipality with a large immigrant population, has often been at the centre of political debate in Belgium. Councillor Saliha Raiss, a member of the Socialist Party, has served as alderman for prevention and urban policy since 2018 and was acting mayor during the August 27, 2025, meeting.
