Muslim Population in Europe Continues to Rise

Politicians Fret as Muslim Population Swells in Europe Amid Little Integration
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 By Greg Burke

BRUSSELS, Belgium — A clash of civilizations may be taking place on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, but it's also happening a lot more quietly in European cities.

Old Europe's population is dwindling even as immigration and high birth rates among Muslim groups are swelling in cities all over the continent.

And in Belgium, it is no different. Click here for the rest of the article.

The following video clip is taken from FOX News.com. As European cities become more and more prominently Muslim, how does this change the face of evangelizing Muslims in Europe? Or how does it effect evangelisim in Europe period? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.

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We apologize for the blogging hiatus. Check back soon for new updates. If you are a current worker in Europe, please email us at reconsiderWE@gmail.com if you'd like to contribute stories.

Thanks,
The ReconsiderEurope Team

False Hope

Leila* always appears content and happy. She invites Megan* to have tea with her and Megan stops in Leila's store on a regular basis. Their relationship has struggled to go past the surface.

A few months ago, Megan was able to share the Gospel message with Leila. Like any devout Muslim, Leila had all of the answers for why she loved Allah, and why Islam filled her with peace. Until today, Megan believed this to be true, and she began to wonder if Leila was someone she should "shake the dust" from. It appears that Leila is very content with her life and does not want to hear about the One True God.

Megan's perception was changed today.

A few days ago Leila's son was disrespectful to her. He threw a book at her and refused to apologize. When Leila asked her husband to help control their son, he made no effort and told his son that he didn't have to apologize. This began an outpouring of reality as Leila shared with Megan what her life is really like. She works long, hard days, and comes home to a husband who shows her little love and respect. Her son adores her when his father isn't present, but when father and son are in the same room, Leila doesn't stand a chance. Leila's mother-in-law despises her. She describes her seemingly kind husband as being two-faced.

Megan learned all of this just a few minutes after Leila had taken a few moments to pray to Allah in her store. She used to be uncovered, but now, she is never seen without her veil. It seems Leila is seeking some source of comfort in Islam. She's trying harder to be a good Muslim. Maybe if she is good enough, Allah will let her into heaven. Maybe.

Before she left, Megain promised to pray for Leila. Please pray with us that Leila will understand how much Jesus values and loves women, and that He desires to carry her through life's burdens.

Common Barriers-Veteran Immigrants

There are two types of veteran immigrants: those that have lived here many years, yet still live in a miniature model of their home country in a European context, and those that have lived here many years, yet have mixed European traditions with those of their own.

The first group reminds me of the movie Spanglish. A mother and daughter travel from Mexico to LA and find themselves in a world not too different than their own. They are able to shop at Mexican grocery stores, and attend Catholic Spanish Mass. This is what some immigrant neighborhoods look like in Europe. You will find Arabic written on store fronts, and men and women carry out their lives just as if they were actually living in their own culture. The barrier to reaching this group is that it can be hard to get into their oikos. They have a tight group of like minded friends and family and although an unbelieving Westerner may be welcomed into a surface level friendship, it is hard to become a true friend. At times, they can become suspicious of the Westerner because they wonder why this person is shopping in the Moroccan, Turkish or Pakistani markets. If you hope to reach these immigrants, you will need lots of patience, and lots of time. These relationships will need to be dealt with delicately and you must be a disciplined learner of your new acquaintance’s culture.

The second group of immigrants are those that have lived here for years, very likely speak the language very well, and have embraced many European customs. For women, they often are no longer covered, but they may still have many Muslim girlfriends. These women are also more likely to be single or widowed. When one worker met an immigrant at a evangelical church service, she asked the woman if she was a follower of Christ. The Muslim woman responded by saying that she came to the church because she enjoys learning about other religions, and her own religion of Islam is very accepting of other faiths. These immigrants probably have some of the least amount of barriers. They are much more willing to learn about your faith, and hear what God has done in your life. However, they are still very Muslim in their mentality, and it is quite a stretch for them to accept the Bible says as true. They will enjoy learning about your religion, but accepting it is still very difficult. Also, if these people still have close friends who are more devout, they may feel the pressure to appear more devout around them, and therefore to give up Islam, is a big decision.

Common Barriers-New Immigrants

These brand new Muslim immigrants face many challenges when they arrive in Europe: they don’t know the language, they usually are looking for a job and housing, and they are living in a world so incredibly different than their own. For a worker desiring to reach them for Christ, these needs can present an open door. Christ followers who live in these countries can help them learn the language, usually through classes provided at a cultural center. They may even be able to help with the job search. However, barriers exist when the new immigrant is reluctant to receive help from a Westerner. He or she will usually seek out family or friends from their home country because they trust them, and because they understand their way of thinking. Well meaning Westerners can turn a new immigrant off, simply because the Westerner may approach how they help that immigrant in a way that is confusing, or even insulting.

This is why being a learning of your culture is important. Loyalty is a major issue with many immigrants in Europe. They come from countries where loyalty to family and faith is of the utmost importance. Therefore, you many need to build their trust before they can allow you to help them. It would be wise to spend a good amount of time observing the customs of the people group you are working with. Watch what they do when a new person arrives. How does that person feel secure and loved? Sometimes the best thing you can do is humbly offer your help, and then spend time praying for ways to share your faith with this new person in your life. This isn’t to say that God might not be telling you to act at times. So make sure you are walking daily with Him, so that when He speaks, you are ready to listen.

Common Barriers-Brand New Immigrants

These brand new Muslim immigrants face many challenges when they arrive in Europe: they don’t know the language, they usually are looking for a job and housing, and they are living in a world so incredibly different than their own. For a worker desiring to reach them for Christ, these needs can present an open door. Christ followers who live in these countries can help them learn the language, usually through classes provided at a cultural center. They may even be able to help with the job search. However, barriers exist when the new immigrant is reluctant to receive help from a Westerner. He or she will usually seek out family or friends from their home country because they trust them, and because they understand their way of thinking. Well meaning Westerners can turn a new immigrant off, simply because the Westerner may approach how they help that immigrant in a way that is confusing, or even insulting.

This is why being a learning of your culture is important. Loyalty is a major issue with many immigrants in Europe. They come from countries where loyalty to family and faith is of the utmost importance. Therefore, you many need to build their trust before they can allow you to help them. It would be wise to spend a good amount of time observing the customs of the people group you are working with. Watch what they do when a new person arrives. How does that person feel secure and loved? Sometimes the best thing you can do is humbly offer your help, and then spend time praying for ways to share your faith with this new person in your life. This isn’t to say that God might not be telling you to act at times. So make sure you are walking daily with Him, so that when He speaks, you are ready to listen.

The Three Kinds of Immigrants in Europe

Those working to share Christ with Muslims living in Europe often find themselves running into the same barriers time and time again. However, depending on the length of time an immigrant has lived in Europe, the problems workers run into will vary. There are essentially three types of Muslim immigrants*:

• Brand New: These immigrants have arrived in Europe recently. They are searching for jobs, and lacking in language skills (usually). They will usually flock to neighborhoods where their own countrymen are already living to ask for help, housing or guidance. In general, veteran immigrants will lend a helping hand to these newer ones.

• Veteran Immigrants: This group of people can actually be divided into two parts. There are those immigrants who have lived in Europe a very long time, and continue to live as they did in their home neighborhood. They have usually learned the language, and they maintain close friendships with their own countrymen. Other veteran immigrants have also lived here a long time, however they have been influenced by Europe’s liberal mentality. They have adopted some European customs, while still maintaining the traditions from their home culture and religion.

• 2nd Generation Immigrants: These are the Muslims who were born and raised here. They attended German, French, Spanish and English schools. They are bi-lingual, and grew up with peers from outside of their own people group. These immigrants are usually the most European of the three groups. They are constantly dealing with living within two paradigms. Often, their parents expect them to grow up and become good Muslims, like they would have in their home country. Yet they live in a social world vastly different from their original country.
The next 3 posts will talk about the barriers each group presents to those who desire to share the Gospel with them. Keep reading to learn more about working with immigrants in Europe!

*Please note, we are aware that immigrants are quite varied from country to country. These are simple generalizations we have made to help us know how to better reach the different groups.