Mažeikis says Russia, not Islam, poses the greater threat

Philosopher Gintautas Mažeikis says the greater danger to Lithuania comes from nearby Russia, not the Islamic world, as debate over migration grows more heated. He made the remarks in an interview with LRT’s “Dienos tema” programme, published by LRT.

Three demonstrations on migration are planned in Vilnius on Saturday: one against immigration to Lithuania, another against racism, and a third called “Wake up from hate”. The discussion also followed incidents raised by the interviewer, including a pig’s head brought to Muslims near a mosque and the possible burning of a Quran in Vilnius.

Mažeikis said far-right parties and movements were using migration to inflame tensions, warning the public with vague claims about Islam without distinguishing between Muslim communities or recognising the diversity of their societies and cultures. He said this distracts from what he described as the greater threat from Russia.

Migration is an issue across Europe and Lithuania, Mažeikis said, but he questioned whether public fears reflected the country’s situation. He noted that tens of thousands of people study at Lithuanian universities, including students from Arab and other predominantly Muslim countries. Some complete doctoral or master’s degrees but are then forced to leave Lithuania, he said, arguing that the country lacks a smart migration policy.

Mažeikis also pointed to what he called a mismatch: Lithuania fears irregular migrants while educated people who want to stay, and may even speak Lithuanian, have to leave. He said language policy was part of the issue.

Sociologist Karolis Žibas, founder of the Diversity Development Group, said recent incidents, including events at a mosque in Kaunas and the possible burning of a Quran, were not reactions to ethnic tensions or a clash of civilisations. He linked them instead to political statements in the public sphere.

Žibas said political communication about sensitive issues was increasingly driven by fear, with facts and data giving way to personal, ideological and party positions and emotions. He also said he had not heard politicians set out a strategic vision for managing immigration. Public discussion, he added, focused on controlling and tightening migration while neglecting its role in the country’s socioeconomic development; security, he said, remained a cross-cutting concern.