Muslim Refugees in Germany Converting to Christianity: Is it a trick?

By Kelly Frazier --
17 Sep 2015 --

Some believe refugees seeking asylum are converting to Christianity solely so they can stay in Germany.

Several hundred Muslim refugees have been getting converted into Christians at a church in Berlin, Germany. According to Pastor Gottfried Martens, his Trinity Church congregation has grown from 150 to over 600 in a matter of two years. He has described this conversion number as a “miracle.”

A recently baptized convert, Mohammed Ali Zanoobi is a carpenter hailing from Iran. He got his introduction to the Bible when he was 18 years old and began practicing secretly. When a lot of his friends from the Christian faith got arrested, he decided to flee, taking his wife and children to Germany.

According to Zanoobi and Afsaneh, his wife, baptism is a fresh new beginning in their life. "Now we are free and can be ourselves," she said. "Most important, I am so happy that our children will have a good future here and can get a good education in Germany."

But there some concerns regarding some Muslims not being genuine converts. Some say they are taking to Christianity to enhance their chances of living in Germany. In Iran and Afghanistan, the Muslims who convert to Christianity are punishable by either imprisonment or death.

A member of the congregation, Vesam Heydari, was reported saying that a major chunk of the Iranians in Germany are not really converting because of their beliefs, rather they simply want to live in Germany.

Pastor Martens acknowledges this possibility. However he says that when in church, the majority of the individuals do get involved and almost 90% of the converts continue to attend once they get baptized.

What a Joke & A Lie! Hundreds of Muslim migrants are converting to Christianity to boost their chances of winning asylum in Germany.
— Ron Hutchcraft (@Ron_Hutchcraft) September 8, 2015

What a joke.They will just go right back to be Muslims the minute they are in there nice houses and lovely… http://t.co/cOjmpix5bT
— Richard B Roberts (@123zen) September 7, 2015

Martens further added that he is aware that people are coming to Germany again and again as they have slight hope with regards to their asylum. He is inviting these people to join the church because he believes that all those who come there are not left unchanged.

According to Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, Islam is part of Germany and claiming to belong to Christianity will not mean winning an asylum application.

Merkel: claiming to belong to Christianity will not mean winning asylum in Germany.[/tweetthis]

Germany was expecting the arrival of nearly 2,500 refugees last week after almost 20,000 were received over the previous weekend.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is of the opinion that this influx is “breathtaking” and would end up changing the structure of the country forever.