2008 Woodie Awards
Muslim population grows in Europe
Sara Morehouse
Issue date: 11/14/06
Last Updated: 12/26/07
Soper said France seems to think that by stripping their Muslim identity, the French can preserve cultural unity.
In both countries, where Christian church attendance is down to about 10 percent, the strong religious conviction of resident Muslims is having an effect on the spiritual nonchalance that is prevalent in Europe.
Soper reported that in a given week, the Muslim attendance for Friday prayer services is greater in Europe than Anglicans attending Sunday church even though Christianity is the majority religion.
Senior Sarah Hennagin, who spent nine weeks in France and Algeria this past summer ministering to Muslims, agrees that there has not been good Muslim integration in France. She said that Soper's predictions were pretty optimistic.
"I don't see the Muslim culture changing to Western ideals as quickly as he did," Hennagin said.
Soper predicts that, in the future, hostility against Muslims will increase, along with a general downplay of all other religion, eventually leading to Islamic integration into the European secular society.
"For Europeans, there is an incapacity to understand religious motivations," Soper said.
He warned that it took the Christian church three centuries to embrace Enlightenment ideas. However, he said that Muslims worldwide currently seem to be going through a "Protestant Reformation."
In both countries, where Christian church attendance is down to about 10 percent, the strong religious conviction of resident Muslims is having an effect on the spiritual nonchalance that is prevalent in Europe.
Soper reported that in a given week, the Muslim attendance for Friday prayer services is greater in Europe than Anglicans attending Sunday church even though Christianity is the majority religion.
Senior Sarah Hennagin, who spent nine weeks in France and Algeria this past summer ministering to Muslims, agrees that there has not been good Muslim integration in France. She said that Soper's predictions were pretty optimistic.
"I don't see the Muslim culture changing to Western ideals as quickly as he did," Hennagin said.
Soper predicts that, in the future, hostility against Muslims will increase, along with a general downplay of all other religion, eventually leading to Islamic integration into the European secular society.
"For Europeans, there is an incapacity to understand religious motivations," Soper said.
He warned that it took the Christian church three centuries to embrace Enlightenment ideas. However, he said that Muslims worldwide currently seem to be going through a "Protestant Reformation."
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