Ioannis Michaletos
(RIEAS Senior Analyst)

Copyright: www.rieas.gr

Contemporary Europe steadily enters a historical course of Islamization, a trend of macro-historical proportions and of vital social, political and economic significance. The Islam is the unifying factor of more than a billion people, characterized by high birth rates, great devotion to their religious norms and canons, but also knowledgeable and experienced throughout of centuries in the realm of international politics.

The future of Europe, according to the current data can not be other than a gradually increasing tension between the indigenous residents and Muslim settlers. In Marseilles, the percentage of Muslims is over 30% and more than half of the residents in the coastal zone between the harbor and the main rail station are North African immigrants. Similar demographics are to be found in the largest port in the world, Rotterdam. In Malmo - Sweden, 40% of the citizens are Muslims; most of them located ghettoized neighborhoods, which are inaccessible to other Swedes, including the police authorities. Sweden once a bastion of social peace and stability has presently one of the highest homicides, rape and armed robbery rates in Europe...

Even Moscow has 1.5 million Muslims (about 15% of the population), who derive mainly from Central Asia and the Caucasus. Over the last 30 years, the Muslim population has increased by 300% in Europe (excluding Russia) and many experts expect an additional 100% increase over the next 15 years - at least. According to all estimates of statistical analysts, around 2050 up to 25% of people in Europe will be Muslims, whilst cities such as Paris and London will Islamic cities, since more than half of their populous will be Muslims. 

In countries such as Sweden and the UK, many Islamic associations conduct a series of public campaigns in order to allow the introduction of «Sharia Law» in their communities. It is interesting to note that they have already achieve support for their aims by indigenous political forces mostly from the so-called "Liberal Left", because of their voting power they have achieved and the support being handed out to them by the oil-rich states in the Middle East.

Moreover, Islamic financial institutions have expanded significantly following the requirements of the Koran regarding financial transactions in countries such as Britain, Albania, Bosnia, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland and Ireland. This banking system seems to be the fastest growing in the world and in essence creates the conditions for economic autonomy and empowerment of Muslims.

This economic trend eventually leads to political conditions. Over the past half a century, the number of Muslim population in Western Europe has increased dramatically, from less than 1 million which was in the mid '50s reaching  up to 25 million nowadays. The numbers are calculated without taking into account the illegal immigrants and non-residents, such as students and seasonal workers.

In fact, the number of Muslims can certainly be calculated to exceed 30 million, perhaps up to 35 million. Although it is an issue that has received the attention of almost all European countries, year by year the leaderships of the countries involved, tend to accept the fact in a fatalistic nature that Islamization in the European urban centers is inevitable, as well as, the imposition of Sharia to European citizens and the radicalization of the young Muslims.

In Brussels, since 1999, the most popular name for newborn babies is «Mohammed», while in Britain in 2008 the «Ali» was number one name for boys ... In Belgium 60% of births came from Muslims and, in Malmo 50% of the students in kindergartens are Muslims. Since 1973, the oil embargo showed for the first time since the Middle Ages the emerging power of the Muslim world. Until 1975 there wasn’t even one mosque in Germany, currently the mosques in the country exceed 2,000. In Britain there are 1,500 mosques, 150 Islamic centers, 202 Muslim schools and 2,000 Islamic schools.

It can be safely estimated -ceteris paribus- (Other factors remain constant) - that in 2050 in cities like Paris and Brussels the majority will be Muslim and 20-25% of the EU will be oriented towards Mecca. Moreover, cities with very small Islamic communities presently, such as Dublin or Helsinki will then have Muslim minorities of approximately 15%. Whole towns are literally invaded and ghettoized with the implementation of Sharia. Saudi Arabia, over the last 35 years, has spent about 100 billion dollars to promote Islam worldwide, which indicates clearly aims for global domination.

In recent years, only in Bosnia the Saudis have allocated 500 million dollars for «religious purposes» built 150 mosques, one of which has an area of 9,000 Sq. meters. In Montenegro a religious center was constructed costing some 30 million dollars, while in Kosovo and Albania hundreds of Mosques appeared since the collapse of the Communism.

Greece may play an important role towards regulating the phenomenon of mass Islamic upsurge in Europe, both because of its history and because of the geopolitical position of the country as a gateway of Europe to the Middle East. Great challenges await Greece which has always been the Eastern breakwater of Europe. It is therefore of great historical responsibility for the Greek leadership to seriously consider of its role, and the challenges facing Europe in this historical stage.

The Greek political class can be safely assured that it will have the backing of the overwhelming majority of the European decision brokers if it truly understands the stakes involved and decides to take the action needed.

Readings:

"Eurabia: The Euro-Arab Axis", By Bat Ye'or, 2005, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, ISBN 0-8386-4077-X

"Four Surprises in Global Demography", By Nicholas Eberstadt Foreign Policy Research Institute Watch on the West. vol. 5, n5, July 2004

www.un.org/esa/population/publications/popdecline/Chesnais.pdf

www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=955

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