In the West, if a person’s birthplace affords him a feeling of security, a good education, a decent way to make a living, a nice home to live in and a partner with whom to raise a family – that person usually does not try his luck in another country. Emigration becomes a realistic option only when one or more of these elements is not provided for by the land of his birth.

In the Muslim world, emigration is understood in an entirely different fashion and is based on the precedent set by Islam’s prophet, Mohammed, who was humiliated, despised and almost murdered in his birthplace, Mecca. The antagonism shown him was the result of the doomsday prophecies he dealt the people of the city and his attempts to “reeducate” them. After leaving Mecca in 622 A.D., he moved to Medina and there, after a period of about two years, became ruler and military commander, as well as statesman.

Mohammed is seen as the ideal role model in Islam, one who cannot possibly mislead his followers, the leader whose every act was guided by a heavenly hand. That means that every Muslim, wherever he is and in whatever situation he finds himself, must follow in Mohammed’s footsteps and attempt to imitate his behavior. Since emigration led to a rise in Mohammed’s status, his takeover of Medina and its becoming an Islamic city, Islamist thinkers see emigration as an opportunity to conquer the places in which they choose to live and turn them into Islamic states.

The millions of Muslims rapping on the doors of Europe over the last few years come from failed, war-torn states, rife with unemployment, neglect and despair. They are in search of a secure environment, honorable employment, education for their children, a roof over their heads and safe, fulfilling lives. Once they achieve economic stability in their host state, many also integrate culturally and become part of the society in which they have found themselves. They break their ties to Islamic tradition, eat whatever is put on their plates and drink whatever is poured into their cups.

In contrast, however, there are millions of Muslims settled in Europe who have a clear objective: Staying loyal to their religious tradition while strengthening its status in Europe. They make demands whose goal is turning the host country into an even more welcoming one: They see to the availability of Halal foods sans alcohol and pork, courts acting according to Islamic Sharia law instead of local statutes, non-marking of Christian holidays, eliminating Holocaust education that includes the genocide of the Jews, the establishment of a banking system according to Islamic law, and allowing Muslim women to wear the niqab covering their faces in the public sphere. They want their women treated by female medical personnel and not by males, as well as many other demands whose objective is to turn the host country into a place that will attract more Islamist migrants.

To anyone whose keeps his eyes open, it is abundantly clear that those Muslim migrants who do not integrate into the European host country’s society intend to turn that state into an Islamic entity. They do not have to fire a single bullet to accomplish this – and it is perfectly fine with them if the process takes decades, because the Koran states that “Allah is with those who are patient,”   so the Islamic world is quite capable of waiting patiently until its goals are achieved.