REFUGEES FORCED TO CONVERT FOR SURVIVAL IN GERMANY

Berlin, 29 Dzulqa’dah 1436/13 September 2015 (MINA) – Hundreds of Muslim refugees are converting to Christianity in a Berlin church.

Pastor Gottfried Martens has said that the congregation evangelical Trinity Church has swelled from 150 to more than 600 in just two years, describing the number of conversions as a miracle, World Bulletin quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

However, there are concerns that some are not genuine converts, rather professing a Christian faith to boost chances of staying in the country.

Congregation member Vesam Heydari said, “The majority of Iranians here are not converting out of belief. They only want to stay in Germany.”

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Martens acknowledges this possibility, but says once in church, most people do engage and that around 90 per cent of converts continue attending after they have been baptised.

“I know there are again and again people coming here because they have some kind of hope regarding their asylum,” Martens said. “I am inviting them to join us because I know that whoever comes here will not be left unchanged.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Islam belongs in Germany and that having a Christian status does not guarantee a successful asylum application. (T/P006/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)