GETTY Germans fear the rise of Islam

FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

The results hint at a dramatic changing attitude of the nation’s population towards the religion over the past year, which has seen the arrival of more than one million migrants. A new poll published by a leading Christian organisation reveals 57 per cent of Germans fear the Islamisation of their country - with more women (61 per cent), fearing it than men (51 per cent). Churchgoers and non-religious people were equally afraid. While the young were the least fearful, with just a third of 18 to 24-year-old’s scared of Germany becoming more Islamic.

GETTY AfD has made strides in the German elections

The results hint at a dramatic changing attitude of the nation’s population towards the religion over the past year

But nearly two-thirds of those aged over 45 were concerned about the rise of the religion. The shocking results also revealed nearly six out of ten Germans feared migrants could bring crime and terrorism Germany. Jewish voters were particularly worried about this, with more than nine out of ten of saying they scared. The results come amid an increasingly fractious debate over radical Islamism in Germany, sparked by Angela Merkel’s ill-fated open door refugee policy. This has pushed voters into the embrace of right-wingers like the anti-immigrant AfD party which scored big in this month’s regional elections and which now threatens Mrs Merkel's CDU conservatives at the General Election. Germans appear to be punishing the Chancellor's accommodating refugee policy. Shocking opinion polls delivered a crushing blow to Mrs Merkel after she took a battering in her home state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania when her party was pushed into third place by the anti-immigrant AfD.

GETTY More than half of Germans fear Islamisation

More than 1.1m migrants entered Germany last year, with most coming from Middle Eastern and North African countries. But Mrs Merkel's grip on power is growing ever weaker, with rebellion across the country against her controversial immigration policies. Recently the German leader admitted she regrets opening her country's doors to a stream of refugees. Following a devastating defeat in the Berlin state elections earlier this week, she said: ”If I could, I would turn back the time by many, many years.

GETTY Angela Merkel has seen her popularity crash over her ill-fated refugee policy

Horrific axe attack on German train Tue, July 19, 2016 Three passengers have been seriously injured after a teenage refugee ran amok on a busy commuter train with an axe and a knife. Play slideshow EPA 1 of 10 Blood stains are seen on the regional train on which a man allegedly wielding an axe attacked passengers in Wuerzburg