Persecuted Priest Tried To Warn the West: 'Islam is a Danger for the Future, One Mosque in Europe is More Dangerous Than a Nuclear Power Plant' (Video)

In 2011, a significant turning point occurred in the life of Father Samuel, also known as Père Samuel, a Syriac Orthodox monk-priest born in 1942. His Belgian, Roman-Catholic bishop suspended him during this tumultuous year, leading him to a period of persecution. Crucially, it is essential to note that this suspension and the ensuing persecution were not due to any inherent bigotry. Rather, they were the direct result of Father Samuel’s open discussions about Islamic texts and his voiced concerns about the potential risks associated with importing Islamic migrants.

However, to fully understand this pivotal phase in his life, we must first delve into his extraordinary background and the path that brought him to this juncture.

Early Life and Ordination

Born in 1942 in Turkey, Father Samuel was ordained as a priest in Lebanon in 1967, according to the customs of the Syriac Catholic Church. In his early years, the young Samuel Ozdemir carried out pastoral duties in various Turkish cities, starting in Mardin and Diyarbakir in the southeast of the country, and later in Istanbul. During this time, he traveled to Europe, where he boldly denounced the difficult and humiliating living conditions faced by Christian minorities in the Islamic Turkey, a stance that would later put him at odds with Turkish authorities. As a result, he had to go find refuge in Lebanon, although the outbreak of the civil war meant he had to flee that land also.

Settling in Belgium

Around 1974/1975, Father Samuel Ozdemir settled in Belgium, more specifically within the diocese of Tournai, where he assumed additional pastoral responsibilities. He even acquired Belgian citizenship and adopted the name Charles-Clément Boniface, although he continued to be widely addressed as Father Samuel. His Eastern origins, strong personality, and rather traditional approach to priesthood, always wearing the cassock, contrasted with the practices of the Belgian Catholic Church. As time passed, disagreements with local priests began to surface, yet, initially, Father Samuel and his ecclesiastical hierarchy managed to find common ground.

Bishop’s Termination and Legal Battle

In 1988, Father Samuel was even bestowed with the title of “chorévêque” or “bishop of the countryside” by the archbishop who had ordained him in Lebanon in 1967. This title, still used in Eastern Churches, granted him the honor of being addressed as “Monseigneur” and the privilege of wearing the pectoral cross.

However, ongoing disagreements with Tournai’s bishop, Mgr. Jean Huard, persisted to the point where the bishop terminated all of Father Samuel’s missions in the diocese at the end of 1990. Feeling wounded in his priesthood, Father Samuel, who had never resigned, decided to take the bishop to civil court. The case, which began in 1991, experienced numerous twists and turns, and drew significant media attention.

Traditionalist Preaching

Concurrently, Father Samuel, who identified as a traditionalist in his faith, began to attract large audiences. He celebrated the Catholic Mass in Latin according to the pre-Vatican II rite, initially in a disused warehouse in Gosselies and later in a dance hall converted into a place of worship in the Charleroi region. His speeches advocated traditional Christian morality and criticized modern societal trends, such as free sexuality, the breakdown of the family, and the growing presence of Islam.

Church Acquisition

In 2001, Father Samuel made headlines again when he and his followers purchased an abandoned church and convent previously owned by Franciscan Recollects. The church’s inauguration in December 2001 was attended by a gathering of Belgian journalists and political figures, including the then Minister President of the Walloon Region, Jean Claude Van Cauwenberghe.

In 2002, Father Samuel opened the doors of his new church, dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, to several journalists. Among them was a team from RTBF, the French-speaking public Belgian television network. In an interview with the journalists, the brave priest made strong statements about Islam which made him a target for the left and Muslims

Left-wing Allegations of incitement to racist hatred

Father Samuel faced six years of legal scrutiny, being prosecuted for “incitement to racist hatred” by the left-wing Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism (CEOOR).

In 2006, the Belgian judiciary determined that Father Samuel would stand trial before the penal court in Charleroi. In response, he reiterated his statement, which the left deemed “controversial”, stating, “An Islamized Muslim child is a time bomb against little European children,” and added that “One mosque in Europe is worse (more dangerous) than a nuclear power plant.” He described Arab/Muslim immigrants as “savage, destructive, plunderers, hateful, gratuitously violent, uncivilized, indomitable, rapacious, liars.” He warned that these foreigners were portrayed as “a peril” against which Westerners had to react immediately. Father Samuel also added, “Islam is a danger for the future. I am not against Muslims but against their founding text.” Moreover, he expressed his willingness to face incarceration for expressing his beliefs and drew parallels to Jesus’ own conviction.

Legal Battle and Acquittal

At the beginning of the proceedings, one of the priest’s advisors, MeMichel Graindorge, made a request for the testimony of six expert witnesses specializing in matters related to Islamism.

MeGraindorge stated, “The central question we must address is whether it is permissible to criticize Islam. Is there a link between the Quran and the radical actions of Islamists? Think about the terrorist attacks that have occurred, such as September 11, in London, Bali, and Madrid. We acknowledge that not all Muslims are terrorists, but the vast majority of these events have been carried out by individuals citing the Quran as their inspiration. Is the Quran, which serves as the basis for these radical acts, outdated? We need the insights of qualified experts to shape our understanding.”

Victorious

Ultimately, Father Samuel was acquitted of charges related to incitement to racial hatred. The Court of First Instance in Charleroi found no offenses that would warrant legal action according to Belgian anti-discrimination laws, which are wielded to silence individuals who seek to engage in honest discussions about the perceived threats associated with Islam.

Father Samuel ultimately won his trial because every word he expressed against the intolerance of Islam was directly and literally based on the very verses of the Quran that he simply recalled or cited. Father Samuel’s journey is a testament to his unwavering commitment to his beliefs, even in the face of significant challenges and legal battles.

Watch the following video, recorded on July 9th, 2012, at the second Brussels Counter-Jihad conference organized by the International Civil Liberties Alliance (ICLA), Father Samuel delivered a speech addressing the potential dangers associated with Islamic migration to Europe.