A veteran ally of Angela Merkel urged Muslims in Germany to develop a "German Islam" based on liberalism and tolerance, saying the influx of people seeking refuge, many of them Muslims, is a challenge for mainstream society.
Minister
Wolfgang Schaeuble, stepping out of his usual finance remit, urged
tolerance, saying the arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants
required a better understanding among Germans of what is important to
them and how they want to live.
Almost
1 million migrants from the Middle East and Africa, came to Germany
last year, stoking social tensions and boosting support for the
right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has said Islam is
not compatible with the constitution.
The
arrival of large numbers of refugees has strained communities and led
to a rise in far-right violence and attacks on migrant shelters,
particularly in eastern Germany.
Schaeuble,
a stalwart of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), said: "Without a
doubt, the growing number of Muslims in our country today is a challenge
for the open-mindedness of mainstream society."
In
a guest article for conservative paper Welt am Sonntag, he added: "The
origin of the majority of refugees means that we will be increasingly
dealing with people from quite different cultural circles than
previously."
Schaeuble, 74, is seen as possible CDU candidate for Chancellor should Merkel not seek re-election next year.
No comments:
Post a Comment