Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to spread the influence of Islam by sponsoring Islamic political parties in several European nations. Earlier this year, he told Turks living in these countries that they are “the future of Europe.” The leader of Turkey seeks to Islamicize the Western World – and Europe is letting it happen.

Jihadist attacks and mass immigration drive the growing presence of radical Islam in Europe, and recent terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom lends credibility to this belief. However, radical Islamists are now seeking political office to increase their influence in Europe.

The Gatestone Institute recently published a study that examines President Erdogan’s network of Islamic parties in Europe. The study uncovered groups in France, Austria, Germany, Bulgaria, and Netherlands. The majority of the members of these parties are Turks who see Mr. Erdogan as their leader.

In France, the two dominant Islamic parties are the Parlement Europeen des Jeunes (PEJ) and Francais et Musulmans. The PEJ is quickly gaining power in the city of Strasbourg. The Gatestone Institute states:

The PEJ was created in 2015 in Strasbourg, the de facto capital of eastern France, on the border with Germany. PEJ has already approved 68 candidates — not enough to cover the whole territory but enough to compete efficiently in districts where Turkish and Muslim populations are strongly represented.

Francais et Musulmans has not yet attained much power, but they will likely become more prominent in French legislative elections. It is also the French branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which has spawned several radical jihadist groups. Incidentally, President Erdogan has a close relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood; the organization has endorsed him as the new leader of the global Islamic community.

The objective of these political parties is clear: promote the dominance of Islam in France. They advocate repealing the country’s secularist law, which established the separation of church and state. They wish to make veils mandatory for girls in their schools. The party also argues for support of the Palestinians. They brand these policies as ways to fight Islamophobia.

In Austria, the New Movement for the Future (NBZ) party works towards a more prominent voice for Turks in Austrian politics. This party was founded in 2016 and has stated that they support President Erdogan. According to the Investigative Project, when the Turkish government was fighting a coup attempt, the group urged the Austrian government to “respect Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s clampdown on the country and the mass arrests the followed.” While they do not claim to be a religious political party, the vast majority of their members are Turkish Muslims.

In March 2017, Turks in the Netherlands founded Denk, a party affiliated with President Erdogan’s AK Party. It won three seats in the Dutch parliament a mere six months after the party’s formation. A notable characteristic of Denk is their opposition to assimilation. Instead of adopting Dutch values, they wish to implement their own Islamic traditions. The American Thinker notes:

Aiming to take advantage of the migrants’ youth, it urges voting at 16 and control of local government by the local majority, thus solidifying existing Muslim-dominated parallel societies in Dutch cities with large Muslim populations like Rotterdam, Amsterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht. It further calls for a ‘racism’ and Islamophobia register that would disqualify those listed from holding public office. It wants imams to be present in all schools, hospitals, and the military, whose education is to be paid by the state, but without any state interference in the curriculum.

In Germany, a group named The Alliance of German Democrats (ADD) is working to bring more Islam to the government, and they’re looking for a base within Muslim communities. As with other European Islamic political groups, ADD is friendly with President Erdogan. While unable to participate in the North Rhine-Westphalia state election, ADD looks to obtain more support from Middle Eastern immigrants.

It’s a little harder to establish a successful Islamist party in Germany – primarily because only a small percentage of Muslims are eligible to vote. Additionally, German law does not allow foreign funding for political parties.

The Islamization of Europe is a serious matter. If radical Islamists have the chance to infiltrate European governments, they will find it much easier to have a transformative impact on their culture and values. Under the guise of opposing Islamophobia, these parties are replacing European culture with Islamic culture.

Whether they realize it or not, Europe faces a more dangerous threat than jihadist attacks. They are locked in a struggle for their very identity. Islam will not conquer Europe through bombings, stabbings, and shootings. Killing and maiming are effective means of inspiring fear – but jihadists will never have enough military force to subjugate the Western World. Instead, they will work to change the culture from within – through its governmental institutions.

To stop the Islamization of Europe, the leadership must abandon the flawed policy of multiculturalism. Requiring immigrants to assimilate into the culture of the host nation is a non-negotiable factor for countries that wish to retain their native cultures. These countries cannot take a cavalier approach to immigration policies and survive.

As more refugees and immigrants flood into Europe from predominantly Muslim nations, support for Islamic political parties will grow. If European leaders continue to capitulate to the assault on their values, radical Islamist views will quickly become dominant. Hopefully, countries such as France, Britain, Germany, and Austria will learn their lesson before it is too late.