Merksem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Ahmadiyya Muslim community held its annual New Year’s cleanup in Antwerp, with dozens of volunteers, including children and seniors, clearing fireworks debris and litter in Merksem and the city centre.
As VRT News reported, the Ahmadiyya Muslim community took part in its annual street cleanup in Antwerp on New Year’s Day.
“Our community has about five hundred members throughout Antwerp,”
says Imam Wagas Mobasher.
“Today we’re here with a wonderful group of volunteers. Young and old are helping out.”
Early in the morning, Jan 1, 2025, volunteers gathered and divided into 2 groups. One group cleaned the area around the mosque in Merksem. The other group went to the city centre. Volunteers picked up bottles, fireworks remains, and other waste from roads, sidewalks, and public spaces.
What drives the Ahmadiyya community’s 18-Year New Year’s cleanup in Antwerp?
Imam Mobasher said the action is part of a long-standing tradition within the community. He explained that cleanliness and service are key principles they follow. He mentioned that the cleanup is meant to support the city and help maintain public spaces used by everyone.
“We are a community of servants. We want to demonstrate that we contribute to a peaceful society for everyone. We worship God by serving His creation, and therefore also by helping our fellow human beings.”
Officials mentioned that the New Year’s cleanup has become a regular event for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and is now part of its yearly schedule. The action is one of several social activities the community carries out during the year.
“This tradition started eighteen years ago,”
Mobasher explains.
“Every year, we clean up fireworks and trash left behind after the festivities. It’s our way of starting the new year on a positive note.”
Alongside the cleanup, the Ahmadiyya community organises blood donation drives in cooperation with health services. Volunteers also visit nursing homes.
“We want to build bridges between communities,”
says Mobasher.
“Making allies, getting to know each other, living together. We don’t care who believes in what. It’s about connection.”
Starting in January 2008, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the City of Antwerp has been carrying out their annual street cleaning project, which takes place after New Year’s Eve celebrations, on January 1st every year since then.
The Street Cleanup is conducted each year by Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Merksem and downtown Antwerp, and similar street cleanups occurred on January 1, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
