Young people are more likely to convert to Islam
Published: Saturday, Apr 20th 2024, 09:00
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People who convert to Islam in Switzerland are often young and sometimes underage. This is according to Federico Biasca, a researcher at the Swiss Center for Islam and Society at the University of Fribourg.
He estimates the proportion of converts at two to three percent. The figure is based on the number of people who profess Islam and do not have a migration background, says Biasca in an interview with the Saturday edition of the French-speaking Swiss daily newspaper "La Liberté".
For his study, he spoke to fifteen Muslim associations in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. However, no precise statistical figures were available. According to federal figures, 400,000 people in Switzerland profess Islam. Some converts already had contact with Muslims in their environment, others converted for personal reasons, after traveling to a predominantly Muslim country or after reading texts, said the researcher.
Preventing radicalization
Biasca had not expected such a high proportion of underage converts. Those in charge of the Muslim associations are themselves surprised by the conversions of minors, says Biasca. "They don't always know how to deal with this phenomenon."
The conversions of young people are more the result of spontaneous approaches than proselytism. "In general, young people who knock on the door of a mosque already have the idea of converting," says the expert. "They want to legitimize their faith by attending an association."
Biasca believes that Muslim associations should play a role in preventing radicalization. It is known that new converts are particularly present in radical groups, for example on social networks. However, this is a very small minority.
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