Published November 29, 2023
Large numbers of immigrants don’t respect the law or want to assimilate.
Last week, European politics was upended by the shocking victory of arch-populist Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom in the Dutch parliamentary elections. Long a pariah for his outspoken anti-Islam views (going so far as to call for a ban on mosques), Wilders softened his rhetoric just enough to surge past more moderate politicians and secure a winning 37 seats in the Dutch Parliament.
Just two days later, the normally peaceful streets of Dublin were rocked by waves of riots after a man of Algerian descent started knifing kindergarten children in broad daylight. Although police have said nothing about the attacker’s motives, a similar attack in France a few weeks ago appeared to be an act of Islamic terrorism. These rising tensions highlight what many have known for years: Europe has an Islam problem.
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Brad Littlejohn, Ph.D., is a Fellow in EPPC’s Evangelicals in Civic Life Program, where his work focuses on helping public leaders understand the intellectual and historical foundations of our current breakdown of public trust, social cohesion, and sound governance. His research investigates shifting understandings of the nature of freedom and authority, and how a more full-orbed conception of freedom, rooted in the Christian tradition, can inform policy that respects both the dignity of the individual and the urgency of the common good. He also serves as President of the Davenant Institute.