Bishops warn of plans to ‘Islamise’ Europe

Bishops from the home countries of Middle Eastern migrants seeking refuge in Europe have said that there are concrete programmes to Islamise Europe, the refugee coordinator for the Commission of the Bishops’ conferences of the European Community (Comece) told Germany’s Tagespost on 10 May.

“We must therefore not be naïve. There are certainly plans to undermine Europe,” the Austrian bishop Ägydius Zsifkovics warned. Bishop Zsifkovics emphasised that he himself did not fear Muslims or mosques, but “some of the personnel employed in mosques. Here the state must fulfil its obligatory supervisory duty and firmly resist all radical forces”.

The Church must also help Christian refugees who had not only been persecuted at home and all along the refugee routes but continued to be persecuted by Muslims in the refugee camps in their host countries, he said.

Meanwhile the European Council of Religious Leaders, meeting in Brixen, Italy, said: “We support freedom of religion and belief for everyone, but also recognise the difficult balance inherent in providing the necessary resources for migrants and refugees to practice their religion, whilst respecting the customs and identity of host communities.”