Islam

VIDEO: Hungarian minor detained on charges of promoting Islamist propaganda

Hungarian minor detained on charges of promoting Islamist propaganda (Copy)

Hungarian authorities have taken into custody a Hungarian minor on charges of posting online propaganda content promoting the Islamic State terrorist organisation, the central investigation office of the prosecution said on Wednesday.

The prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation based on information from Hungary’s Counter-terrorism force TEK, it said in a statement.

According to charges, the suspect prepared a video with Hungarian subtitles that promoted Islamic State and uploaded it onto the terrorist organisation’s site in December 2022.

The suspect continued to promote Islamic State on his own server through propaganda in Hungarian, the statement said.

The suspect was detained in a coordinated operation with TEK and was later heard on charges of inciting war and other crimes.

Here is the video:

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OIC delegates gather for iftar in Budapest – Photos

iftar in Budapest OIC

In the heart of Christian-majority Hungary, the Islamic ritual of iftar, marking the breaking of the Ramadan fast, is a less common sight. Yet this ancient tradition plays an important role in bringing Muslims together in Hungary and around the world.

Though small, the Muslim community in Hungary is a patchwork of ancient ethnic groups and recently arrived newcomers. This vibrant mosaic enriches the Hungarian social landscape with cultural richness and traditions.

Iftar and OIC

The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Budapest organised a special gathering of ambassadors and diplomats from Islamic nations. This event celebrated unity: representatives of the 57 member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Hungary prayed and had dinner together.

Among the participants was Alpár Kató, owner of Daily News Hungary, who captured the moments in the photos below:

Read also:

  • Hungary’s first ever Islamic cemetery to be built near Budapest – details HERE
  • Burj Khalifa is astonishing in the Hungarian national colours again – VIDEO

Hungary’s first ever Islamic cemetery to be built near Budapest

Hungary's first ever islamic cemetary to be created close to Budapest

Probably more than 50 thousand Muslims live, study or work in Hungary. Zoltán Bolek, the leader of the Hungarian Islamic Community, said they would like to create Hungary’s first authentic Islam cemetery near Budapest. Furthermore, they obtained all the necessary permits. As a result, the cemetery may open in 1-2 years.

According to Blikk, a Hungarian tabloid, the Hungarian Islamic Community will own the cemetery, and they paid the price for it. They acquired the approval in principle of the Hungarian government to create the first Islamic cemetery in Hungary. However, the location is not yet public.

Mr Bolek said the cemetery will be close to Budapest and the M0 motorway. What is left is the construction, administration and signing of the relevant agreements.

Hungary does not register those who follow Islam, but Mr Bolek estimated their number to be 50 thousand plus the students and guest workers. There are parcels created in Budapest, Pécs and Debrecen for Muslims, but they are not enough.

He said the first authentic Islamic burial took place in 1919 in Hungary. A Turkish military officer and his wife were buried, the former served as a member of the Ottoman military mission in Budapest during WWI. However, the Budapest parcel will become full because the pandemic increased the number of dead in the Muslim community as well.

The costs of the new cemetery skyrocketed

The venue of the cemetery is close to the M0 motorway but not yet shared. Mr Bolek believes there will be 1000-1200 graves, which will be a solution for 100 years for the Muslim community living in Hungary.

Interestingly, they calculated HUF 40 million (EUR 104 thousand). But it came to light that they had to build a fence, install an electricity system, drill a garden well and build a mortuary. As a result, the costs may exceed HUF 100 million (EUR 261 thousand). They plan to collect the money from community members, but expect significant help from Türkiye.

The burials will be held following the Islamic tradition in the new cemetery. Cremation is forbidden, the body will be wrapped around with a bedsheet, and the feet will point towards Mecca. An imam will lead the rituals. Relatives, friends and those paying their respects will pray together, Mr Bolek said.

He added the construction would start in early 2024. Based on the plans, the new cemetery will become functional in 2025.

Read also:

  • A mosque to be built in Zugló by the Hungarian Islamic Community – Read more HERE
  • Islam rapidly expanding in Hungary – Details in THIS article

Hungarian FM: War threatens rise in migration, terrorism

Szijjártó Péter Islam

The global food crisis caused by the war in Ukraine could lead to a rise in migration waves which could then be infiltrated by members of terrorist organisations, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Budapest on Thursday.

According to a foreign ministry statement, Szijjártó told a meeting of the working group of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State terrorist group dealing with foreign fighters that even when international attention is being focused on the war in Ukraine, other security challenges should not be forgotten.

Terrorist organisations always try to use such unstable situations to their advantage, Szijjártó said, noting that Islamic State leaders had recently called for new attacks to be carried out in Europe. This was why, Szijjártó said, it was crucial to end the armed conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible.

Szijjártó also noted that Russian and Ukrainian grain exports were critical to the food supply of countries that were “already prone to instability”.

“It is a lot easier for extremist ideologies to spread in times of famine,” Szijjártó said. “Violence rears its head, which leads to serious emigration waves, creating the best breeding ground for terrorism.”

The minister also touched on the link between illegal migration waves and terrorism, arguing that migration waves could be infiltrated by terrorists.

The Hungarian authorities have prevented some 215,000 people from crossing the border illegally so far this year, he said, adding that proceedings have been launched against 1,500 people smugglers this year alone. Also, the number of migrants arriving via the Western Balkan route is increasingly reminiscent of the situation seen during the 2015 migration crisis, he said.

Hungarian church bell USA
Read alsoPHOTOS: Stolen Hungarian church bell returned from the USA!

“These migrants bring a new dimension of violence and aggression, given that they’re now armed . they’re shooting at each other and threatening the Hungarian police officers and soldiers protecting the Hungarian border,” he said.

Szijjártó urged support for the Western Balkans in guaranteeing their own and the rest of Europe’s security, adding that the European Union should make it clear to would-be migrants that they should not set off for the continent.

Security, stability and the fight against terrorism have always been important to central Europe, Szijjártó said. It is important in the current security crisis to join forces with the Western Balkans in the fight against terrorism, he added.

Szijjártó also touched on Hungary’s protection of persecuted Christians, noting that the Hungary Helps humanitarian programme has so far helped some half a million people remain in or return to their homelands. The government will carry on with the scheme in spite of the current economic difficulties, he said.

North Macedonia military Budapest Hungary
Read alsoPHOTOS: North Macedonia’s chief of staff on official visit in Budapest

Orbán cabinet: Islamophobia often gets more attention than the persecution of Christians

cross-christian

Protecting cultural and religious heritage in crisis areas can help create and sustain peace as well as prevent migration, Hungary’s state secretary for aiding persecuted Christians said in Brussels on Monday.

Tristan Azbej told MTI that the European Union Foreign Service (EEAS), at Hungary’s initiative, has forged a concept for protecting cultural heritage in crisis areas, and the European Union Foreign Affairs Council approved the concept at the end of June.

At a conference today, Hungary emboldened European Union institutions to include support for persecuted Christian communities in their external policy portfolio. Experience suggests that preserving religious sites instils hope for the future in people caught up in conflicts and tempers their desire to emigrate, he said.

Azbej insisted that EU institutions had been indifferent to persecuted Christians, and persecuted Christians had generally received less attention and support than other persecuted or discriminated religious communities.

Islamophobia often gets more attention than the persecution of Christians, he added.

Thanks to Hungary’s initiative, Christian communities in Europe’s neighborhood, as well as in the Middle East and Africa, may get the attention they deserve, he said, adding that EU grants may now be channelled to organisations run by Hungary and churches in order that they may support persecuted Christians outside Europe.

Previously, the pursuit of political correctness and neutrality were reasons why such organisations missed out, he added.

The Hungary Helps programme, he noted, is aimed at enabling local communities in crisis areas, including persecuted Christians, to remain safe in their homeland and prevent people from emigrating. During its four years of operations, Hungary’s programme has helped at least a quarter of a million people living in crisis-stricken areas to stay where they are. Poland and Slovenia are following Hungary’s example with similar policies, Azbej said.

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Read alsoIt’s official: Pope Francis will concelebrate a mass in Budapest on September 12

Why would a young Hungarian commit an ISIS terrorist attack?

TEK

How and why did a young man of 21 years of age decide to plan a terrorist attack?

As Daily News Hungary reported last week, a young university student was arrested by Hungarian counter-terrorism officers. He supposedly had the intention to detonate a bomb during one of the matches of the European Championship played in Budapest and to drive into a crowd at Lake Balaton.

According to Magyar Nemzet, the 21-year-old university student from Kecskemét will undergo several sessions with a criminal psychologist to determine why and how he got to the point of wanting to commit these crimes.

Based on the newspaper’s information, the young man swore allegiance to ISIS and was following several web pages, organisations and communities on Facebook related to the terrorist group.

It is crucial to figure out what led him to consider the decision to blow himself up willingly. To get to the root of it, they will conduct a series of so-called deep interviews.

Examining his social media pages and his browser history is one of the methods being followed. All this activity shows the sign of him slowly becoming radical. The Islamic organisations, web pages and communities that he liked, conversations he initiated, people he talked to on the internet, whether he separately searched for content that seemed appealing to him, and when he contacted an Islamic organisation – all these depict a clear image of how his personality changed.

As index.hu reported, referring to the announcement of the Prosecutor’s Office of the capital, he did not confess or admit his guilt.

“The suspect has given a partial confession, but he did not admit to being guilty. He did not deny the communication and their content he had conducted as a preparation for the crime. However, he did deny his real intention to go through with it.”

According to Hungary’s Counter-Terrorism Centre (TEK), he wanted to prepare a pipe bomb for which he had already bought the necessary materials.

His lawyer, on the other hand, says that this information on the explosive devices or any material to build it, is simply not accurate

After his arrest, as it is natural in case of a crime related to this certain ethnicity or religious community, the Hungarian Organisation for the Protection of the Rights of Islam condemned the plan to carry out the terrorist attack. They called for the authorities to step up against islamophobic voices that surely will multiply after the incident.

“The Hungarian Organisation for the Protection of the Rights if Islam stands for the peaceful coexistence, tolerance and the discussion among cultures and religions…”

Read alsoHungarian police found wanted criminal in the most unusual place – VIDEO

Mideast countries, Islamic organizations condemn terror attack in Vienna

Iran

Major Islamic organizations and countries in the Middle East on Tuesday joined a chorus of condemnation of the terrorist attack in Vienna, Austria, while voicing solidarity with the government and people of Austria in fighting terrorism.

On Monday night, gunmen opened fire at people in several locations in Austria’s capital Vienna, leaving four dead and 15 others wounded. One perpetrator shot dead by the police reportedly has a criminal record of contact with the terror group Islamic State.

The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Vienna, while reiterating its “firm position in rejecting the phenomenon of radicalism, extremism and terrorism in all its forms,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf also condemned the terrorist attack, while reiterating the GCC’s firm rejection of terrorism in all its forms and calling for drying up the sources of its support and finance, the SPA reported.

Egypt

Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the top religious institution in the Sunni Muslim world, denounced on Tuesday the deadly terror attack in Vienna.

“The killing of one human soul is just like the killing of all humanity,”

Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb said in a statement, while urging all people and all international bodies and institutions to stand together in the face of terrorism “in order to spread peace throughout the world and refute the rhetoric violence and hatred.”

Egypt condemned the terror attack in Vienna, while expressing its support for Austria and underlining confidence that the Austrian people are capable of overcoming such tragic attack, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Egypt rejects all kinds of violence, extremism and terrorist crimes, while urging the international community to rally efforts in the face of terrorism, it added.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned that attack, while affirming its “solidarity with the Republic of Austria in taking all necessary measures to maintain security and protect against extremist tendencies and acts of terrorism and violence in all its forms,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement.

Turkey

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin condemned the attack in Vienna in a tweet, vowing that Turkey stands “in solidarity with Austria.”

“We will continue to fight against all forms of terrorism,” Kalin added.

“Once again we condemn this terrorist attack,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a press conference with visiting Sierra Leone’s counterpart Nabeela Tunis, noting two ethnic Turks in Vienna helped the victims during the attack.

No terrorist attack can be justified, Cavusoglu said, adding Turkey stands ready for close and sincere cooperation against all approaches that cause terrorism.

Iran

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said

the bitter incident of terrorism in Vienna “once against proved the fact the extremism and terrorism know no boundaries” and interaction and cooperation within the international community are necessary to uproot terrorism in the world.

He stressed that Iran has always been a part of the attempts by the international community to confront the roots of terrorism.

Israel

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi tweeted on Tuesday that “Israel utterly condemns last night’s murderous attack in Vienna.”

“In these difficult times, Israel stands alongside the Government and people of Austria in the struggle against terror. Our friendship is as strong as ever,”

he added.

The United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed “strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at destabilising security and stability in contravention of religious and humanitarian values and principles,” the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement.

Iraq

Iraq “expresses its strong condemnation to the terrorist attack that took place in Vienna,”

Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahaf said in a statement.

Iraq also affirms its rejection of terrorism in all its forms and stands with the international community in the face of terrorism, in addition to its support for all efforts aimed at eliminating extremism and violence, al-Sahaf added.

Kuwait

Kuwait strongly condemned the “terrible shooting attack” in Vienna, while standing “in solidarity with Austria against these heinous acts,” the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Morocco

It also affirmed that “terrorism in all forms must be eradicated,” the ministry added.
Morocco “strongly condemned the appalling attacks” in Vienna, while expressing “all the sadness we felt” following the incident, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita was quoted by official media as saying.

“We stand with the Austrians in these moments of pain, as we stand against violence, hatred and rejection of otherness,” Bourita added.

Lebanon, Sudan, Palestine

Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants slammed “the vicious terrorist attack” in Vienna, while expressing “full sympathy and solidarity” with Austria.

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Sudan condemns the terrorist attack in Vienna, while voicing solidarity with the government and people of Austria.

The Palestinian presidency said Palestine strongly condemns “this terrorist action and always rejects all types and forms of violence that contradict the religious and human values and principles.”

austria-terror-attack
Read alsoAustria declares three days of mourning; dead gunman has criminal contact record with IS

No! It is fake news that the Hungarian police protects the border with pigs!

Hungarian police border migrant pig

International press agency AFP published a fact check article on the issue because the original photo somebody modified was theirs. They revealed that it was taken on the Philippines after a deadly typhoon.

In fact, the photoshopped picture stating that Hungarian police officers are trying to deter migrants with a breastfeeding sow

has been circulating on the internet for years.

Since 2015, the doctored image has popped up many times on Twitter, Facebook and Reddit, mostly in islamophobic, racist contexts. According to AFP, somebody put a Hungarian police officer in the place of a Philippine man and a lot of migrants into the background of the image which was originally a highway somewhere in the Philippines, suggesting that Hungarian police try to keep away Muslim migrants this way – Index reported.

According to AFP, the doctored image was shared more than 800 times since it was first published on March 10, 2016. Furthermore, a reverse image search on Google revealed that the picture had been photoshopped from an AFP photo published on October 19, 2015, on the website of French newspaper Le Dauphine Libere.

The original description of the photo was:

“A resident stands with his rescued sow and suckling piglets

as people wade through a flooded highway in Santa Rosa town, Nueva Ecija province, north of Manila on October 19, 2015, a day after the typhoon Koppu hit Aurora province. Residents of flooded farming villages in the Philippines were trapped on their rooftops and animals floated down fast-rising rivers, as deadly Typhoon Koppu dumped more intense rain.”

In fact, this is not the first time that somebody would like to deter migrants with pigs. In 2016, György Schöpflin, an MEP of Fidesz, tweeted that pig heads would deter migrants more effectively than human images (the latter is “haram”, forbidden for religious Muslims). Afterwards, Schöpflin said that he had done nothing for which he would have to apologise. Zoltán Bolek, leader of the Hungarian Islamic Community,

called Schöpflin’s assertion shameful.

As we reported before, the Hungarian government believes that immigration will remain the most important issue for Europe, and since the European Union leadership in Brussels is not prepared to stop the trend, nation-states must be entrusted to do that. In this regard, Antal Rogán, head of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, said that the United Kingdom left the EU because the European Commission could not find a solution for the migrant crisis. He added that Hungarian voters have the chance to influence European decision-making if the programme of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gets the most support in the European Parliament elections and if the candidates of the

governing Fidesz win a strong mandate in the EP.

In fact, most of the Hungarian opposition parties reject immigration, too. For example, the biggest opposition party, Jobbik, called the government’s migration policy deceitful and insolent because, according to them, the government settles tens of thousands of economic migrants in the country to replace those that have been forced out of the country because of the humiliating wages.

Featured image: facebook.com/audrey.brown.9406

A mosque to be built in Zugló by the Hungarian Islamic Community

According to atv.hu, the mosque, which is currently under renovation, will also function as a cultural centre. The municipality of Zugló only heard about the investment from ATV.

The Hungarian Islamic Community, currently centred in the 13th district, has bought an estate in Zugló on Róbert Károly Boulevard. Imam Miklós Ahmed Kovács shared the news at a sermon on the 20th of January. Since then, his speech has been shared on YouTube.

Miklós Ahmed Kovács states in the video that a mosque means something different in western countries than it does in eastern countries, where it is mainly for praying.

“Here, in the western world, a mosque is also a centre. This is why we call these places cultural centres” said the imam.

He went on by saying that the community had bought an estate in the 14th district (Zugló) of Budapest, which they will turn into a mosque and a cultural centre.

“We need Muslims’ support for the establishment of this mosque” added Kovács referring to the work and financial resource required for the construction. Atv.hu found out that the place will be called “Germanus Gyula Islamic Cultural Centre, Durics Hilmi Husszein Mosque”.

The website also looked up Zoltán Bolek, the president of the Hungarian Islamic Community, in connection with the topic. He confirmed the fact that they have bought an estate but didn’t want to tell the exact location for the time being. However, he promised to invite the writer of the article to the inauguration, but, according to him, there’s still a lot to do, like performing the ritual lavatories and the purchasing of rugs.

He also said that the majority of the work is done under social work conditions, for instance, he is responsible for the electricity in several rooms.

It was almost exactly one year ago that the leader of the Hungarian Islamic Community complained that, in contrast with other religious communities, they don’t get estates for free, so they have to “solve the problem differently: buy and renovate”. It seems like their plan worked out.

Bolek emphasized that politicising and the spreading of extreme ideas will be prohibited in their new centre. As their regulations says

“the propagation of any extreme trend and encouragement to aggression are prohibited! Anyone committing this will be banned from the centre!”

The website also contacted the municipality of the 14th district to find out further details about the investment, but they were surprised as they heard about the topic for the first time. The press agent of the municipality said that they don’t know anything about the community buying an estate in Zugló, so it can be excluded that the location was of municipal ownership.

Atv.hu managed to find out that the new centre will be in Paskál Street, in a building where a gym used to function. The cultural centre will include a mosque, lavatory, library, kid supervision, shop, office, restaurant, fitness section and an apartment for the imam.

Copy editor: bm

The fifth anniversary of Hungary’s new constitution – Orbán: Islamisation falls under constitutional ban in Hungary

Islamisation falls under a constitutional ban in Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Monday, at a ceremony celebrating the fifth anniversary of the country’s new constitution in Parliament.

The Hungarian government is not in a position to support mass migrations that would lead to a contradiction of the national creed as espoused in the Fundamental Law, Orbán said.

Noting the constitutional obligation to protect Hungarian citizens, the prime minister declared that “we have to know who wants to come to our country and why; we have a right to decide with whom we want to live together and with whom we do not.” He added that this is not contrary to the principle of universal protection for refugees.

orbán-szájer

He said the points he recently declared under “Schengen 2.0” serve to protect the external borders of Europe. Those who want to come to Europe must go through an evaluation procedure outside the continent’s borders, he said. It is also reasonable to stipulate that illegal migrants must be sent back to their safe place of origin or to a safe third transit country. Any development or visa policy vis-a-vis a non-European country must be conducted with set conditions, Orbán said.

Responses to demographic and labour-market challenges must be made within the realm of sovereign states, he insisted.

Orbán said Hungary and central European states were more capable of coming up with viable answers to various crises as they were more “filled with the spirit of action” than other states were. He said the reason for this was that Hungary has a modern constitution which has the answers to “where Hungarians come from, where they are now and where they are headed”, while Europe “is in denial about its past and future and burdened by self-torment”.

“This is apparent from the frequent attacks Europe hurls at Poland and Hungary,” he said.

Orbán praised the work to create the new constitution five years ago, including the consultations which preceded it. He said there were many who argued that the timing for adopting a new fundamental law was not right, and he thanked everyone who “did not listen to those voices”.

Orbán voiced concern that some principles laid out in the constitutions were not “reaching lower-level legislation effectively”, and as an example he mentioned the lack of legislation for the idea that “children must provide for their parents”.

 

Photo: MTI

US analyst: Orbán bold to point out Islamisation of Europe

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is bold enough to “state the obvious” about the Islamisation of the continent, which the European Union is afraid to do, George Friedman, Hungarian-born US political analyst, said in an interview published in the conservative online newspaper mandiner.hu on Wednesday.

The United States is not willing to finance the security of a bigger and richer Europe and will not start military action against Syria because this does not serve its interests, Friedman said in the interview. From an “existential” point of view the crisis in the Middle Eastern is more important for Europe, he said.

Orbán has been willing to say out loud against a fragmented EU what is obvious, although Europe’s Islamisation is apparent from the Paris and Brussels attacks, too, he said.

Unlike the US government, the “normal American” knows that “not every Muslim is a terrorist but almost every terrorist is a Muslim,” he said. Orbán’s reaction to shut out everyone is understandable as the fundamentalists cannot be separated from the other Muslims, he insisted.

While Hungary’s relations with the US government are bad, its ties with America are great. But because the EU is falling apart, the United States will give more value to bilateral relations. “Such valued relations already exist with Poland and Romania and it would be good to see this with Hungary, too”, he said, adding that the US however puts a price tag on good relations.

Hungary must pay for the establishment of military bases and buy F-16 fighter jets, Friedman said. The US will not guarantee the safety of Europe and the EU is not able to solve the problem. But nation states like Poland or Hungary can and Orbán knows this, he added.

Government: Hungary against Muslim radicals not Islam

Budapest (MTI) – Europe is at war and Hungary does not want to see an Islamic dictatorship on the continent, Saturday’s daily Magyar Hírlap said citing the state secretary for church relations.

Hungary has no problems with Islamic religion and culture but with fanatics, Miklós Soltész said.

Islam has been a lawfully recognised religion in Hungary for 100 years, yet Muslim countries fail to help the survival of Christian communities. The Islamic community in Hungary received 150 million forints (EUR 480,000) state support in the past six years, which shows that accusations that the Hungarian government is intolerant lack any foundation, the state secretary said.

The more migrants arrive in Hungary, the more difficult it will be to separate peaceful and violent Muslims, he said. The majority of Hungarians do not want to live together with people who come from a different culture, Soltész said.

Islamic community marks centenary of Hungary’s recognition of Islam

The Hungarian Islamic Community celebrated on Wednesday the centenary of Islam becoming a lawfully recognised religion in Hungary.

“In the wake of the bombings in Paris, Brussels and Pakistan, it is necessary to speak responsibly and make a distinction between religion and radicalism, between those practising their religion and extremists,” deputy state secretary for church relations László Hegyi told the event. Those pursuing their Islamic faith do not suffer any disadvantage in Hungary, he added.

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usa-islam-hungary

US Ambassador Colleen Bell told the event that acts of terrorism raise fears and encourage people to demonise certain social groups. But if fear is allowed prevail then the terrorists win — and this must not be allowed, she added.

The human resources minister told a conference earlier in the day that there is a need for dialogue with Islam, and for this partners are required.

islam-hungary

“We are at war, but not with Islam as a religion, a culture or community; we are at war with those who organise forces from the community of Islam by stealth and want to keep them fearful and change them for ever and occupy Europe in the name of Islam,” Balog said.

House Speaker László Kövér said in his address that Europe does not want “Islamic totalitarianism” or any other kind of autarchy. He noted that Hungary had gone through “experiments” with Nazi and communist regimes before.

“Hungary does not want to fall victim to Islamism, nor is it interested in identifying Islamic religion, culture, or politics with Islamist terrorism,” Kövér insisted. “Hungary has a dialogue with Islam as a culture but has zero tolerance for Islamist terrorism,” he added.

Photo: MTI

Erdogan to visit Hungary, Turks would build minaret in the country

According to index.hu, the Turkish Ambassador Sakir Fakili presented complete minaret-building plans to the local government of Szigetvár. The Republic of Turkey would build a new minaret for the 450th anniversary of the siege (the town was attacked by the Ottoman Empire). Allegedly, the Hungarian government accepted the offer, but it has not been known whether the tower can be built next to the mosque.

The Hungarian government organizes an international meeting in the town to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the siege where the Hungarian captain, Miklos Zrínyi, defended the castle of Szigetvár. The Hungarian, the Turkish, the Croat and possibly the Slovenian presidents will participate as well.

Sultan Suleiman I died during the siege, and a tomb had been found a couple of months ago at the vineyard next to Szigetvár. It is assumed that the turbe (tomb) contains the remnants of the Ottoman ruler, that is why it is important for the Turks, index.hu wrote.

Szigetvár

The castle of Szigetvár was put on the list of the National Castle Program in the summer of 2015, but the work has not started yet.

Szigetvár Mayor Péter Vass told index.hu that the renovation was discussed at a late January government meeting. He expects a support worth around one billion forints. The town would use the funds to create the Zrínyi memorial hall and for the renovation of the two longitudinal castle walls and the inner park, for the construction of lighting and the for the reconstruction of the Castle Captain’s cellar.

The Turks, however, are very interested in the anniversary. They spent a significant amount of money on the archaeological works which resulted in the discovery of the tomb and also led to the first Hungarian settlement founded by the Turks. They wanted to restore the mosque’s original form and rebuild the minaret.

Ambassador Fakili presented Turkey’s plans for the reconstruction. According to him, the minaret would not be a religious building; it would strengthen the touristic function of the castle. He also added that the Turkish tourist groups and the high-level government delegation would be shocked if they saw the mutilated minaret which now looks like a smokestack, index.hu reported.

The website states that it was the Secretary of State for the Prime Minister’s Office, Laszlo L Simon who negotiated with the Turks and that he promised to support the investment orally, but he has not oficially confirmed his promise yet.

Copy editor: bm

Islam rapidly expanding in Hungary

According to magyaridok.hu, the Hungarian intelligence services indicated several years ago that the number of the followers of Islam has grown rapidly in recent times and it may mean a threat to national security.

They informed the government in their analysis regarding to the immigration report of Europol that according to the 2011 census, twice as many declared themselves to be adherents of Islam than 10 years earlier, which also calls for increased attention for the prevention and the intelligence. The analysis mentions that Hungary is at most a transit country or resting place for Jihadists until they arrive in Western Europe, but by the spreading of Islam, they can find an increased number of helpers in Hungary.

The latest census data in Hungary strengthen the analysis as well. According to the Central Statistical Office (KSH), 5579 people classified themselves to the Islamic religion four years ago in 2011. Of them, 3567 were men and 2012 were women. Ten years earlier, however, only 3201 people declared themselves Muslims. The men were 2222 and there were only 979 women, or half as many as ten years later. This is also meaningful because while the number of practitioners of Islam almost doubled in 10 years, Christian churches have fewer adherents. The number of Catholics made up 54% of the total Hungarian population in the 2001 census, their number exceeded 5.5 million. However, the 2011 data shows a significant drop, because by this time, only 39% of the population, 3.8 million people identifies themselves as Catholic. Half a million fewer people declared themselves Calvinist after 10 years, the number of Lutheran believers dropped from 314 thousand to 215 thousand. The number of those who declared themselves as Israelites also became less by 2011, when 3 thousand fewer people chose Jewish religion, magyaridok.hu wrote.

Additionally, the proportion of the adherents of Islam grows the most among the churches which can increase their membership. There are several confessions where the adherents became a couple of thousand more, but these numbers are significantly lower than the growth of Islamic believers. It has even greater significance in the fact that while in 2001, 1.1 million people of the 10 million 198 thousand Hungarian population did not want to answer the religious question, in 2011, 2.7 million of 9.937 million people did not want to say which denomination they belong to.

based on the article of magyaridok.hu
translated by BA

This process leads to a Muslim-majority Europe

Academician Miklos Maroth thinks massive Muslim communities do not integrate in Europe where in some areas, they will be the majority in the foreseeable future, he said in the radio program called 180 perc. According to former Jordanian ambassador Bela Jungbert, the media should not trigger a panic but should present positive, integrated Muslim communities. For the very reason because Hungary cannot detach from processes taking place in Europe in the long run. The Hungarian Islamic Community would immediately close the mosques disseminating radical ideas, gondola.hu wrote.

According to Miklos Maroth, classical philologist, orientalist, Vice President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), the Christian virtues – justice, temperance, courage, wisdom – are also present in Islam, but he thinks a Muslim is accountable only for laws, but ethics is not built in the laws. Sharia manages the activity of the great masses, which is a set of legal requirements.

The academician thinks the massive Muslim communities do not integrate, but form parallel societies. In Islam, there is a section which allows extreme tools in the fight for the true faith. Since Islam has no central Magisterium, such as Rome for the Catholic Church, the people can interpret the tenets of faith. This leads to the creation of fundamentalist terrorist organizations and attacks like those committed in Paris last Friday.

However, according to Zoltan Bolek, president of the Hungarian Islamic Community, most of the Muslims reject terror, and he also condemned the fundamentalist groups. He said he would close the mosques disseminating radical ideas and would send home, exile or jail the imams preaching there.

According to Bela Jungbert, former ambassador who served in the Palestine territories of Israel and in Jordan, the elimination of fundamentalist groups can be solved as well as the better integration of the others. He thinks, first the influential Islamic scholars and imams should dissociate themselves. He added he feels great it a great problem that European Muslim communities do not organize mass demonstrations condemning the Islamist terror attacks.

He also said that the media should demonstrate the positive, integrated communities, persons.

According to Miklos Maroth, this proves leads to a Muslim-majority Europe. If we assume what happened when Islam spread in the former Christian-majority areas of the Roman Empire – including Syria and Egypt – we can see the future of the European culture with a Muslim majority: it will be liquidated sooner or later, gondola.hu wrote.

The Vice President of the MTA said, Muslims will be the majority in some areas in the foreseeable future. Brussels is referred as the place where it will happen at the earliest, in 15 years. According to some experts, it requires 50 years in Western Europe and 100 years in Eastern Europe, including Hungary, but this process is greatly accelerated by the migration which is taking place now.

based on the article of gondola.hu
translated by BA

Photo: MTI (Miklos Maroth)

Hungary’s Muslim communities condemn terror attacks

Daily News Hungary

Budapest (MTI) – The series of attacks was an act of terrorism for which there is no explanation, the Church of Muslims in Hungary told MTI in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.

The attacks were not related to any single religion, nationality or ancestry, the church said.

Islam condemns violence and the intimidation of the innocent and considers the breach of peace, security, law and order as unacceptable, whoever the offender may be, it said.

The Hungarian Islamic Community said cowardly terrorists have massacred innocent people in Paris, for which no religion can provide justification. They said the world must take action against all extremist forces, against racist, discriminative thinking and activities.

Iran deal restores Muslims’ dignity, says Hungarian Islam community founder

Budapest, July 16 (MTI) – The nuclear deal six major powers just reached with Iran has restored the dignity of Muslims, but could have twofold economic effects, the founder of the Hungarian Islam Community said.

“The Muslim world has been a winner of the deal which restores its dignity after years of humiliation since the destruction of the New York twin towers in 2001,” Balázs Mihálffy told public news channel M1 late on Wednesday.

The comprehensive agreement brokered on Tuesday and the prospective lifting of the embargo on Iran by the international community could, however, have twofold economic effects, Mihálffy said.

Hit by sanctions, Iran had on its own invested heavily in the areas of education, research and development. As a result, it has become fifth on the list of top countries in nanotechnology, he said. In the wake of the agreement, however, Iran could lose this position.