MOSCOW – Russia’s Orthodox archpriest Dmitri Smirnov has told congregants in his last Sunday sermon that the future belongs to Muslims, praising them for offering help to the needy without repay, unlike the Christians in this land.

“In fact, during their [Muslim] festivals, the people are scared to enter their areas (in Moscow) because tens of thousands of young Muslim men fall down on their knees and worship God,” World Bulletin quoted the archpriest.

“Where have you seen that many Orthodox men? You cannot see them anywhere at any time,’ he added.

The archpriest comments came as he was recalling an experience shared with him by an elderly woman in his congregation.

According to the woman, Muslim drivers never took money when taking her to church, whereas Christian drivers were only interested in making money.

“A child doesn’t take money from his mother, especially if she is going to pray,” the Archpriest said, quoting Muslim drivers, adding that Christian drivers would say “This is my job.”

“A Muslim bringing you to Easter or anything else is closer to the Messiah (Jesus Christ) than a Christian who wants money,” Smirnov told his congregation, “because the Christian driver has no mercy, pity or kindness in his heart.”

“A Muslim is not interested in gaining benefit from the old woman. Rather, the Muslim offers to take her around, take her to the landrette, pay her bills, take her to the market, carry her bags up to her floor or to her elevator (if she has one),” he said.

Smirnov went on to say: “For this reason, the future will belong to the Muslims. The future is theirs. They will plough this land, because today’s Christians are not in need of these things.”

Islam is Russia’s second-largest religion representing roughly 15 percent of its 145 million predominantly Orthodox population.

The Russian Federation is home to some 23 million Muslims in the north of the Caucasus and southern republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan.