Hungarian Imam Ahmed Miklós Kovács: Hungarian Right-Wing Political Parties Are Our Enemies

In a July 24 Friday sermon, Imam Ahmed Miklós Kovács, Vice President of the Hungarian Islamic Community, discussed the issue of immigration, drawing a parallel between Muslim immigrants to Europe and Jewish immigrants in the past. Imam Kovács said: "The Jews and the Gypsies were the scapegoat in the past. No matter what happened, people could always hate the Jews and the Gypsies. It seems that now, we Muslims will be the ones to take their place." He further said that although many Hungarian Muslims supported right-wing political parties in the past, this is no longer "halal."

Following are excerpts:

Ahmed Miklos Kovacs: We know fully well that the Islamophobia now sweeping through Hungary is caused by fear-mongering and incitement, and that the government and some groups are inciting public opinion against the refugees or the immigrants. We know that many of the refugees or immigrants are Muslims. I am sad to say that we have reached a point where all Muslims are placed in the same category, as the immigrants and refugees accused of taking jobs [from Hungarians], and of seizing the country and so on. This is a calculated campaign of incitement, intended to destruct attention from other problems. Now we Muslims are going to be the "problem," just like among extremist, radical or other right-wing parties. The Jews and the Gypsies were the scapegoat in the past.

No matter what happened, people could always hate the Jews and the Gypsies. It seems now, we Muslims will be the ones to take their place. We are the one who would be hated, insulted, and used to frighten people, because there is great political benefit in that. A lot of money is invested in using the Muslims to frighten the Hungarians - even Hungarians from the countryside, who have never seen a Muslim in their lives. They can be frightened if they are told that the Muslims are coming, the Arabs are coming, the Turks are coming, that the refugees are coming or whatever.

There were times when these right-wing parties and organizations... Let's call them by their names - Jobbik, the Hungarian Guard, the [Sixty-Four] Counties Movement, the Army of Outlaws, and so on. They were times when they were sympathetic toward the Muslims. They went to the Iranians and the Turks, and talked in a phony way about "our Central Asian brothers, who are Muslims." Now we see that it was all just a lie, a political game, in order to gain some [political] benefit from the Muslims at the time. When they stood alongside the Palestinians and the Turks, they were not being sincere. It was all for political gain. If they were [really] standing alongside the Muslims, they would be speaking out against Islamophobia today.

They are not doing so. Instead, they are only adding fuel to the fire, so that people will hate the Muslims even more in this country. If this continues, things will be terrible. We Muslims should not let this happen. We must protect our rights. We know that many people from this parties and circles, back when they still wanted to associate with us, converted to Islam.

They were even Muslims who trusted this parties and circles. For example, it is well known that many Muslims in Hungary voted for Jobbik in 2010. Some Muslims joined [extreme right] self-defense organizations. Some Muslims became [extreme right] party members, and some party members became Muslims. That's how it was. But today, we have reached a turning point, and one no longer claim to be on both sides. No.

Either you are with us, with Islam, or else you are with them, the enemies of Islam - because from the moment they incite against Islam and the Muslims, these organizations can be considered the enemies of Islam. We know full well that Allah did forbid us from having good, friendly relations, from cooperating and working with those non-Muslims who do not harbor animosity toward Islam, who do not strive to incite hate against Muslims, who do not hunt Muslims, but who live in peace and call for peace in society. It is our duty to treat those non-Muslims well, to maintain good relations with them, to cooperate and work with them, because they are our friends.

As for those infidels who operate against the Muslims, want to drive us out, do not want any mosques in Hungary, and do not want Muslims to live in Hungary, they are not our friends. They are considered our enemies because they are against us. Thus, it is haram – forbidden by religion – for any Muslim in this country to support these parties, groups, and organizations, or to vote for them, work with them, or provide them with any kind of help. By doing so, the world would be acting against the Muslims – and we all know how a Muslim who acts against fellow Muslims is viewed.