There will soon be more Muslims than Christians in Europe, a Belgian minister has claimed.
Speaking before the European Parliament, Koen Geens said the continent “does not realise this” yet but it could soon be the reality.
This is due not just to mass immigration and the migrant crisis, but also to European Christians refusing to practice their faith.
Speaking at a hearing by MEPs in to the Brussels attacks, the Belgian Justice Minister said: “In Europe, very shortly we’re soon going to have more practising Muslims than practising Christians.
“That is not because there are too many Muslims, it is because Christian are generally less practising. Europe does not realise this, but this is the reality.
Also speaking yesterday, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Jean Jambon added that “the worst thing we can do is make an enemy of Islam”.
“We have 600,000 to 700,000 Muslims in Belgium and the overwhelming majority of those people share our values,” he claimed.
“To make an enemy of all of those people, we really will be creating problems. We need to see who the terrorists are, who supports the terrorists, what networks are there to support them.
“That is who we need to tackle and we need to get all of the rest of the Muslims on our side not working against us.”
The Daily Mail also reports that Mr Jambon claimed earlier this month that some Belgian Muslims were “dancing” after the Brussels attacks that killed 32 people. He also accused residents of the notorious Molenbeek district of attacking police officers when they were carrying out anti-terror raids last month.
“They threw stones and bottles at police and press during the arrest of Salah Abdeslam. This is the real problem,” he said.
“Terrorists we can pick up, remove from society. But they are just a boil. Underneath is a cancer that is much more difficult to treat. We can do it, but it won’t be overnight.”
Although European Commission figures from 2012 suggest 72 per cent of people in the European Union identify as Christian, many do not actively practice their faith. In contrast, the Muslim population tends to be more observant and devout.