Minister says Islam not part of Germany

BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel’s hardline new interior minister declared that Islam is not “part of Germany” in an interview published on Friday, setting off a political storm two days into her fourth term.

Asked by the top-selling Bild daily whether the influx of Muslim migrants and asylum seekers to Europe’s top economy meant that Islam now belonged to the fabric of the nation, Horst Seehofer replied “no”.

“Islam is not part of Germany. Christianity has shaped Germany including Sunday as a day of rest, church holidays, and rituals such as Easter, Pentecost and Christmas,” he said.

“The Muslims who live among us are naturally part of Germany. But that of course does not mean that we, out of a false sense of deference, should sacrifice our traditions and customs.”

Germany’s Muslim community is estimated to have 4.5 million members, around 1.8 million of whom are German citizens.

Seehofer, leader of the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party of Merkel’s Christian Democrats, is new to the cabinet.

His expanded interior superministry also covers “Heimat” or homeland affairs, intended to recapture claims to patriotism and national identity from the far-right AfD, which won nearly 13% of the vote in September’s general election.