Is Islam to shape the future? What politicians and religious leaders imply
Public deference toward Muslims is becoming increasingly visible across the world. Why is so much attention being paid to them rather than to the Christian majority? And what does it all mean?
Until quite recently, it seemed only natural that in countries with predominantly Christian populations, the authorities would show greater attention precisely to Christians. But today the opposite impression is taking shape. Political, public, and even church leaders are taking part in Muslim rites, attending iftars, making public visits to mosques, and issuing pointedly warm greetings on Muslim holidays. Why is this happening?
What is happening in "Orthodox" Ukraine?
Over the past few years, Ukraine has built a clear pro-Islamic policy line. In April 2023, V. Zelensky directly announced the launch of an "iftar tradition at the official level," in 2024 called iftar a continuation of this tradition, and in 2025 again participated in official iftars with Muslim military personnel, the Mejlis, and diplomats.
On March 2, 2026, Zelensky came to a mosque in Kyiv, where he dined at iftar together with NSDC Secretary R. Umerov, Head of the Presidential Office K. Budanov, Head of DESS V. Yelensky, Commissioner for Crimean Tatar Affairs M. Dzhemilev, imams, and Muslim believers.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2026 even held an iftar in the diplomatic academy building. Moreover, the press release specifically indicates that these events are conducted within the framework of the President's initiative.
It is noteworthy that state institutions, in doing so, do not use a secular language of respect toward citizens, cultures, and religions but specifically employ religious terminology. For example, in 2026, DESS's congratulations on the beginning of Ramadan included these words: "This is a time of special closeness to the Almighty <...> communal prayer becomes a source of strength". This is no longer just a protocol congratulation on a feast, but the use of religious concepts of the Muslim community itself by government representatives.
Representatives of the "state-forming" OCU are not lagging behind the leaders of the Ukrainian state. On March 10, 2026, in the main mosque of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Ukraine "Umma," a ceremonial iftar took place, at which, besides DESS officials and OCU-oriented religious scholars, OCU "bishop" Efrem Khomiak was present together with an unnamed "priest."
On March 27, already in Odesa, another OCU cleric, Theodor Orobets, also participated in an iftar. The OCU website stated that this was not just an evening meal, but "a place of interfaith dialogue and interethnic acquaintance."
Some OCU "priests" have so solidarized with Muslims that they allow themselves statements like this: "Allah is with us and victory over the infidel Moscow occupiers, children of Shaytan!"
All this causes bewilderment, because according to 2025 statistics provided by the quite loyal to Ukrainian authorities sociological "Razumkov Center", Muslims in Ukraine comprise... 0.0%. They certainly exist, but their number, according to the conducted survey, is within the statistical margin of error.
At the same time, authorities allow themselves coldness, neglect, and sometimes outright pressure toward the Christian majority. For example, against the backdrop of numerous congratulations to Muslims on Ramadan, we do not hear congratulations from Ukrainian authorities to Orthodox Christians on the beginning of Great Lent. Why is this happening? And what exactly are the elites trying to demonstrate through this conspicuous closeness to Islam?
What is happening in the world?
Similar things are happening around the world. On March 10, 2026, Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria hosted an iftar right in the courtyard of the Alexandrian Patriarchate. Among those present at the meal were Ioannis Pyrgakis, Consul General of Greece in Alexandria, and Andreas Vafiadis, President of the Greek Community of Alexandria; Dr. Ibrahim Al-Jamal, representative of the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar University; and executives of the construction company Rowad, as well as workers and management of the Rowad construction company, which is restoring the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in Alexandria.
On the same day, at an iftar in Ankara organized by Turkish President R. Erdogan, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Metropolitan Emmanuel (Adamakis) of Chalcedon were present.
A week later, on March 17, 2026, Patriarch Bartholomew visited an iftar at the Zografeion Lyceum in Istanbul. We emphasize that this iftar was organized not by Muslims, but by one of the oldest educational institutions of the Greek Orthodox community of the city.
On February 20, 2026, the President of supposedly Orthodox Bulgaria, Iliana Iotova, held an iftar attended by Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel.
We observe how participation in the traditional Muslim iftar and greeting messages for Ramadan are becoming part of modern state protocol. US authorities hold iftar at the White House and publish congratulations to Muslims on Ramadan.
On March 12, the mayor of New York organized an iftar in the city hall building. In London, the mayor's office celebrates Eid al-Adha at Trafalgar Square.
In Germany in 2026, in the state chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia, authorities organized an iftar with the participation of Muslims, politicians, and representatives of Christian denominations.
Even the Japanese government holds iftars for diplomats from Muslim countries.
What does all this mean?
If participation in iftars and other Muslim events were limited to Patriarch Bartholomew and those Orthodox hierarchs who live in Muslim countries, one could say they have to do this to maintain good relations with local authorities. But as we see, this trend is global. How to explain the demonstrative reverences toward Muslims from Ukrainian authorities and OCU "hierarchs"? How to explain holding a Muslim iftar in the Alexandrian Patriarchate? And just a few years ago, there was no such attention to Muslims.
One possible explanation is that in Europe, the USA, and other countries, the number of Muslims is growing. Immigration of Islam supporters and high birth rates in their families are two factors that together ensure demographic balance changes not in favor of Christians. There is a viewpoint that Europe will inevitably become Muslim, it's only a matter of time. Perhaps European and American politicians and religious figures share this viewpoint, which means
their attempts to please Muslims are searches for mercy from potential winners in the demographic struggle.
But there is another explanation. Participation in iftars, visits to mosques, special congratulations on Ramadan, and talks about the inadmissibility of Islamophobia are nothing other than a new ritual of political respectability. Authorities, officials, and religious leaders demonstrate not so much closeness to Muslims as their own "rightness": tolerance, modernity, openness, humanism, ability to respect minorities, etc. This is symbolic politics.
Until recently, a familiar sign of reliability for a Western politician, official, corporation, or media was a marked deference toward LGBT people and a mandatory display of alignment with the corresponding agenda. This role largely continues today. However, in the United States and many European countries, conservative sentiments have been on the rise in recent years. Conservative rhetoric is gaining strength, and political parties that exploit it are receiving more and more votes. Donald Trump’s victory, with his anti-LGBT agenda in the U.S. presidential elections, is very telling.
Given today’s trends, the Muslim theme is becoming exceptionally convenient: it can simultaneously be linked to minority rights, multiculturalism, foreign-policy openness, and the desire to curry favor with the countries of the Islamic world. Nor should one discount the desire to maintain access to oil exported by Muslim countries. That is why gestures toward Muslims are visibly becoming part of a new political protocol.
Possible consequences for Ukraine
For Ukraine, the Muslim issue may carry yet another, deeply ambiguous dimension. Because of the war, our country has lost millions of its own people. Nominally, Christians. Politicians and economists are already actively discussing how many millions of labor migrants will have to be brought in to rebuild the economy.
The donor countries named most often for such migration are predominantly Muslim states. And there is little doubt that in those countries Ukraine is already being watched with interest. So is the country preparing to welcome its future guests?
