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Europe Fears Islamic Converts May Give Cover for Extremism

(New York Times) A growing group of Europeans who found a home in Islam and then veered into extremism is raising concerns among antiterrorism officials that the new recruits could provide foreign-born Islamic militants with invisibility and cover, by escaping the scrutiny often reserved for young men of Arab descent. Islam is Europe's fastest-growing religion, and many experts believe that the number of converts has grown since Sept. 11, 2001. A report by France's domestic intelligence agency, published by Le Figaro, estimated last year that there were 30,000 to 50,000 converts in France. French scholar Antoine Sfeir said some converts saw the current wave of Islamic terrorism as "a kind of combat against the rich, powerful, by the poor men of the planet."
2004-07-20 00:00:00
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