The Middle East is a region marked by the predominance of Islam. Israel occupies only 0.3% of the total area, with about 22,000 km² of territory.

In contrast, the Middle East covers approximately 7 million km², of which 90% of the population is Muslim. Jews represent about 3% of the regional population, concentrated mainly in Israel. Even within Israel, around 20% of the population is Islamic.

There are about 15–16 million Jews around the world, representing 0.2% of the global population.

It is important to emphasize that Islamic extremism does not represent the entirety of Muslims, but rather specific groups seeking to establish a caliphate. These extremist groups are present in several countries, including Brazil, where the Federal Police recently arrested an individual linked to the Islamic State.

The Muslim population in general simply maintains the framework of the Quran in daily life.

According to a CNN Brazil report:

“Derived from Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is a Salafist jihadist group considered terrorist by the UN. Its goal is to form a caliphate, a regime governed by a caliph, regarded as the successor of Muhammad. ISIL is responsible for numerous human rights violations, such as systematic killings, human trafficking, and sexual violence.”

Religious Persecution

In Islamic countries or those under strong Islamic influence, there is persecution against Jews and Christians. The organization Open Doors International (Portas Abertas Brasil) reports that more than 388 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination because of their faith — that is, one in every seven Christians worldwide.

Among the most severe countries against Christians are: North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Syria, Nigeria, Pakistan, Libya, and Iran. In addition, 40 other nations make up the list of the 50 most hostile, including Afghanistan, India, Saudi Arabia, China, Cuba, Turkey, Egypt, and Mexico.

Complete list of the 50 countries:

North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Syria, Nigeria, Pakistan, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Mali, Burkina Faso, China, Iraq, Maldives, Algeria, Mauritania, Central African Republic, Morocco, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Niger, Tajikistan, Laos, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico, Tunisia, Nicaragua, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Turkmenistan, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Oman, Mozambique, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Egypt, Comoros, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Colombia, Chad, Jordan, and Brunei.

In Europe, Islamism is growing rapidly, driven by immigration and high birth rates. According to the German newspaper DW, there are about 45 million Muslims in Europe, making Islam the second largest religion after Christianity, and the fastest-growing faith on the continent.

A kind of new Ottoman-Turkish empire is taking shape, broader and more powerful, consolidating ties with countries in Asia and the Middle East and transforming Islamism into a global religious and political force.

In contrast, the Jewish population is significantly smaller. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2020 there were approximately 460,000 Jews in France, 300,000 in the United Kingdom, 120,000 in Germany, and 13,000 in Spain. Altogether, Europe is estimated to have between 1.3 and 1.5 million Jews — representing only 2.9% to 3.3% of the Muslim population in Europe.

The current scenario points to attempts to create a caliphate in Europe, supported by progressive sectors and Islamic demographic strength. This transformation could generate unprecedented tensions, forcing Jewish communities to leave abruptly and increasing violence, deaths, pogroms, and persecution.

More than 150 nations have already positioned themselves against Israel in support of the Palestinian cause, reinforcing the idea of political and religious isolation of the Jewish state.

This process could result in mass migrations (Aliyah), economic and social losses, and episodes of violence that would echo in other regions, such as the United States and Brazil.

Despite this challenging panorama, history shows that the Jewish people will prevail.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)