Islam does not belong in Christian Europe. This is the expressed consensus of Eastern European leaders even as tens of thousands more refugees from violence-wracked and conflict-ridden Muslim nations in the Middle East and Africa continue to knock on Europe's doors.
CBN News reports that Hungary has built a 175-kilometre razor-wire fence along its southern border. It has also deployed 10,000 police and soldiers along its border and is reportedly recruiting 3,000 "border-hunters" equipped with pepper spray and loaded pistols to stop refugees from entering.
These moves prompted one European leader to remark that "Hungary is not far away from issuing orders to open fire on refugees," a statement that was, however, denied by Hungarian officials.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made it clear though that "those arriving have been raised in another religion, and represent a radically different culture."
Writing in an opinion piece for the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine, Orbán pointed out that most of the refugees are Muslims. "This is an important question, because Europe and European identity is rooted in Christianity," he said.
Orbán reminded Hungarians and other Eastern Europeans of the time in history when Muslims occupied their lands. He asked his countrymen to show the same courage as their ancestors "in the war against the Ottoman armies."
Following the fall of Constantinople in 1453, much of Eastern Europe fell under Muslim occupation for centuries.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is even more direct, saying that Islam has no place in his country and that Muslim migrants cannot be allowed to "change the character of our country," according to the Washington Post.
"The idea of multicultural Europe has failed... The migrants cannot be integrated, it's simply impossible," he stressed.
Poland says it favours accepting only Christian refugees. "An individual who arrives in Poland must demonstrate that he or she can integrate in our culture and society. Therefore, we can place greater hopes that Christian refugees have more potential to assimilate," Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said in an interview with The Middle East Eye.
Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schönborn believes that many Muslims ultimately want to conquer Europe.
"Is this a third Islamic attempt to conquer Europe? Many Muslims say that Europe is at the end," Schönborn said in a recent sermon, according to the Catholic Herald.
