Sam Van Rooy, a representative of the Belgian Flemish patriotic party Vlaams Belang, argued that Europe is facing a civilizational crisis and failing both its own Christian heritage and persecuted Christian minorities abroad. “If you want to protect our culture, if you want to protect Christians, if you want to protect Christianity, we definitely have to close our borders, or we will become like the Middle East.”
Van Rooy, who has been active in Flemish politics for over a decade, was first elected to parliament in 2019 and has since focused on issues related to migration, national identity, foreign policy, and freedom of expression.
In the interview Van Rooy framed mass Muslim immigration as an existential threat to Europe’s Christian identity, drawing parallels with the decline of Christianity in the Middle East. He argued that Europe risks repeating the same trajectory if it does not act decisively. “Christianity is unfortunately disappearing there already, for many decades, centuries actually. And if we don’t want that to happen here, we have to close our borders for Muslim immigration.”
Turning to the Middle East, Van Rooy acknowledged the precarious situation facing Assyrians in Iraq and Syria, noting that many wish to return but fear for their safety. “Many Assyrians want to return home, but they’re scared to go back.”
He placed much of the blame on Western and European foreign policy, which he said consistently supports or appeases Islamist regimes while ignoring indigenous Christian communities.
“Europe is always supporting the wrong groups, the wrong regimes. They appease Islamic regimes like Erdogan or the ayatollahs in Iran, but they never really care about the Assyrian people.”
He admitted that knowledge about Assyrians among European politicians is extremely limited, including within the Belgian parliament: “If I would ask all members of parliament who the Assyrians are, at least 90 percent would not really know what I’m talking about.” Van Rooy partly attributed this invisibility to the Assyrian community’s low political profile, contrasting it with louder and more organized lobbying by Muslim communities. “You are calm people. You integrate. While Muslims make a lot of noise, have many demands, so politicians know about them.”
"The Kurds are engaged in window dressing"
Asked whether he supports an autonomous Assyrian region in Iraq's Nineveh Plain, Van Rooy responded: “Everything that could lead to protection for the Assyrian people, of course I support it. History has shown that if they don’t have a state of their own, they are in big danger.” He argued that genuine security would require Assyrians to have not only autonomy but also the means of self-defense: “A strong state of their own, with their own military, so they could protect themselves, that would be amazing”, he said.
Addressing Kurdish-Assyrian tensions, Van Rooy acknowledged that Kurdish authorities are often portrayed positively in the West, masking abuses against Assyrians: “Not many people know that the Kurds are also not being good to Assyrians. They show democracy, but behind the scenes it’s window dressing.”
The Assyria Post
He argued that Western governments are often naïve, accepting democratic rhetoric without examining realities on the ground: “The Islamic State says openly they want to kill you. Others say they support democracy and minorities, but they don’t do it.”
On Europe’s ability to influence events, Van Rooy was pessimistic, describing Europe as a declining power with limited leverage, saying the power of Europe is "very limited, and declining very fast.”
In his closing message, the Belgian MP urged Assyrians to have perseverance, visibility, and political engagement: “Don’t give up, be courageous and let your voice be heard.”
The Assyria Post
