Attitudes and Activities of Czech Society, Churches and Religious Communities in Contemporary European Refugee Crisis
Abstract
This paper introduces the relatively small number of refugees in the Czech Republic in comparison with other European Union countries, and it points to exaggerated fears of immigrants from Middle East and North Africa. Then it analyzes the Czech society's attitudes to the refugee crisis and to the presence of migrants in the Czech Republic, and it compares them with the attitudes of churches and religious communities.
It focuses its attention not only on refugee-phobia, but also on the fear of Islam. It informs about ways of churches to cope with refugee-phobia and islamophobia, and about activities which churches do for refugees and for their integration in society.
The paper presents also current activities of interfaith dialogue in the Czech Republic and it reveals how sufficient awareness contributes to reducing the negative perception of Islam among Christian believers. It introduces also the three selected theological ways in the Czech churches, which deal with phenomenon of migration and with Islam.
In the end, it tries to formulate some principles for further work of churches in this area.