Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens believes practicing Christians in Europe will be outnumbered by devout Muslims “very soon.”
Geens made the remarks Monday during a European Parliament debate on terrorism. Geens warned about the rapidly declining number of Christians attending church and working to maintain the religion’s position in culture.
“In Europe, very shortly we’re going to have more practicing Muslims than practicing Christians,” Geens said. “That is not because there are too many Muslims, it is because Christians are generally less practicing.”
Jan Jambon, Belgium’s deputy prime minister, disputed the claims and warned that Geens was “making an enemy of Islam.” Geens had no data to back up his claims, and he simply said it will happen sooner than people realize.
Muslims make up a small percentage of the total population in any given European country. European Commission data from 2012 estimates that 72 percent of Europeans consider themselves Christian, while just two percent identify as Muslim. These figures don’t account for whether or not a person is actively practicing their religion, but rather what they identify as.
Pew Research Center estimates the Muslim population in Europe to grow by 63 percent — from 43.5 million to nearly 71 million — between 2010 and 2050. The same study suggests the number of Christians will decrease by 18 percent, from 553 million to 454 million.
British Prime Minister David Cameron also urged people to defend Christian values in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.
“Values of responsibility, hard work, charity, compassion and pride in working for the common good and honoring the social obligations we have to one another, to our families and our communities,” Cameron said in his Easter address.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.