(From Tunis) The paradox of a Europe that denies Christianity but tolerates the most radical Muslims. This is it the impression you get when talking about immigration and Islam in Tunisia. And this impression, strangely, it is also shared in many Muslim countries where there are those willing to speak frankly about these issues, even if covered by anonymity for security reasons.
As happens in Tunisia, the only country that survived the Arab Spring seven years ago, where a minority of people live who have left Islam and become atheists or Christians; and where there are also moderate Muslims who deal with the issue of Islamism in Europe without mincing words.
Ahmed was an Islamic extremist. He wanted to leave Tunisia to fight with Jabhat al-Nusra, the extremist group that is part of the Syrian rebel forces, in Syria. His friends had died on the battlefield and he felt it was his duty to “vindicate the cause of Allah”. Then he heard the gospel message and, shortly after, Ahmed decided to convert to Christianity. “I converted from the religion of war to the religion of love”, explains to us. “I was full of anger and, when I found Christianity, I understood that I could live in peace". When Ahmed starts talking about Islamic terrorism in Europe, tells: “Islam in Europe is like a virus”. Explains, without batting an eyelid, that if he were European he would vote for the "populists" e, when he learns that there are those who accuse these movements of being racist, bursts out laughing. Ahmed, in the past, he believed in an extremist version of Islam: "Believe me, I know the true Islam: the Quran was my creed and I know all the verses". According to him, the true Islam is that of extremist groups, and moderate Muslims are not true Muslims: “Moderate Islam does not exist, there is true Islam and fake Islam. The real one is from groups like Daesh (Isis)”.
In this community of converts there is also a boy who tried to express his need to convert to Christianity to a Muslim friend of his, receiving a threat in return: “If you convert you will have a knife at your throat”. The conversion, according to the texts of Hadith(the practices of the Prophet Ndr) , would be prohibited in Islam, even if there are Muslim communities that allow it. Another girl who converted to Christianity says she was unable to tell her parents: “They would think I converted to drink alcohol or not have to wear a veil, in reality I converted because I believe in the love of Jesus Christ".
Among these Christians who live a life of seclusion there are those who have come from Europe to preach the message of Christ in the few churches that, during the French colonization, they were built in Tunisia. One of them came from Great Britain and works in the only Protestant Anglican church. When we ask him why he decided to make such a radical choice, says he received a message from God and that, as a Christian, he didn't even feel welcome in Europe. “In Britain I felt almost persecuted by atheism: It has become such a powerful force that practicing Christians feel uncomfortable preaching their religion.". Calls atheism in Europe a “fundamentalist atheism”. And he explains: “At least in Tunisia I am surrounded by people who believe in God, even if he is a different God than mine: they believe it anyway, and we have something we can relate to about that.". Paradoxically he says that – despite the lack of freedom, not being able to ring the bells of his church, not being able to preach the message of Christ in public, the duty to ask the state to provide him with armed forces during mass – he is happy in Tunisia precisely because of this sense of solidarity in religion.
Belil on the other hand is an atheist. He says he has left his religion of birth (l’islam) after realizing that it was "false and oppressive". Loves reading European books, know reason and science. But he has to use an anonymous profile on social media because he is afraid of being attacked for his opinions, despite Tunisia being one of the most secular countries in the Arab world. Belil asks: “But why is Europe doing this to itself? They're crazy?”. It refers to theIslamic immigration, but not only that. His fear also concerns how Europeans deal with the issues of fundamentalism and Islamic terrorism. He thinks all religions are equally false, but not all equally malevolent. “Christians and Jews don't try to kill you for blasphemy”. Try to understand why Europeans are so hostile to Christianity using the pretext of secularism. and at the same time. they are so careful when they deal with Islam.
Nadia, Instead, she is a Muslim woman who works in politics. She defines herself as "moderate". She does not wear the headscarf and works for the only secular party in Tunisia, what about Nidaa Tounes, which competes with the Islamist Ennahda. He cannot stand that the West supported movements such as the Arab Spring and Islamist forces, using the “false pretext of democracy”: “They are not democrats, they are Islamists who use democracy to spread fundamentalism". Sebra is also convinced that welcoming Muslims into Europe who felt persecuted by secular regimes during the Arab Spring was a mistake: “Europe is opening its arms to these Islamists, and he has no idea what awaits him.".
Source: http://www.occhidellaguerra.it/41801-2/