BERLIN — Across Europe, a growing number of citizens view Islam as incompatible with Western values, bolstering populist-right parties that advocate stricter immigration measures and cultural restrictions.
In Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, the Alternative for Germany party secured 44 percent of the vote on Sept. 6, marking its largest state-election result to date. The party campaigned on warnings about "Islamisation" and promises of forced deportations.
The same weekend, hundreds of individuals occupied Dover in Britain, chanting "Stop the boats" and "Christ is King" in protest against immigration. In France, 60 percent of voters support Marine Le Pen's proposal to ban Islamic headscarves from public places.
Muslims constitute only 6 percent of Europe's population, which numbers well over 500 million, even after record migration from majority-Muslim countries. Claims of "no-go zones," creeping Sharia law or demographic "great replacement" lack factual support.
Most Muslim immigrants seek to integrate into their new societies. Children of Muslim immigrants often outperform their parents academically. In Britain, 67 percent of Bangladeshis who took standard tests in 2021 enrolled in university by age 19, compared with 38 percent of white Britons.
Muslims are actively involved in mainstream politics, exemplified by Britain's home secretary and London's mayor. Polling among British Muslims found little resistance to women working, indicating that many Muslim attitudes align with those of other Europeans.
The genuine danger to Europe stems from extremism fueled by Islamism—the belief that the state should enforce Islamic principles—and by right-wing paranoia driven by social media. Center-ground politicians contribute to the problem by remaining silent, fearing accusations of racism.
Populist-right promises of mass deportation, segregation and dress bans terrify Muslims. These measures inhibit integration and can inadvertently push individuals toward extremist ideologies. This dynamic poses a risk to Europe's liberal democracies by hindering integration and promoting policies that could damage fundamental freedoms.
