Christian Refugees Forced to Participate in Islamic Prayers

Christian asylum-seekers in Germany are regularly bullied, beaten and forced to participate in Muslim prayer services, according to a report released this week.

There are currently more than one million migrants and refugees living in Germany, the vast majority of whom are Muslims. The new report, titled “Religiously motivated attacks on Christian refugees in Germany” was prepared by the humanitarian relief organization Open Doors, and documents a sharp increase in aggression and violence towards Christians in the refugee centers.

Particularly under attack are Christian converts from Islam, who are considered apostates by the Muslim migrants.

Thomas Muller, an Open Doors persecution analyst, said that “Christian refugees—especially those who are converts to the Christian faith—live in fear of persecution from Muslim refugees who make up the majority of residents in the refugee hostels set up throughout Europe.”

The study found that fully half of the 231 Christian migrants interviewed over the last two months said they had been “bullied” by Muslims in refugee camps or reception centers, and also claimed that Muslim migrants were forcing Christians to take part in Islamic prayers.

In Berlin, a Protestant minister claimed that Christian refugees had been threatened after they refused to take part in Islamic prayers with other migrants, mainly from Afghanistan and Iran.

As a result of their findings, Open Doors is appealing to German authorities to keep non-Muslims in separate centers to ensure their safety. The Christian migrants interviewed said that they had suffered abuse both from fellow refugees and from hostel security staff, and some 75% stated that this had happened repeatedly.

Many Christian refugees also revealed that they are frightened of reporting incidents lest they face more problems as a result, including violence against family members still living in Muslim countries.

Some 80% of the refugees surveyed said there was a real need for separate accommodations for Christians and Muslims.

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