Islam does not belong in Germany, says minister

Rocky start for new coalition as chancellor clashes with cabinet member over religion

ANGELA MERKEL’S new government got off to a rocky start yesterday as the chancellor and her interior minister clashed publicly over the role of Islam in Germany society. Horst Seehofer, the leader of the conservative CSU who became interior minister this week under a coalition deal, used his first interview since taking office to declare “Islam does not belong in Germany”.

Mrs Merkel lost no time in rebuking him, telling a press conference: “Muslims are also part of Germany, and so their religion is just as much a part of Germany”.

Mr Seehofer’s remarks echoed last year’s election slogans from the farright nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AFD), which campaigned on an anti-muslim platform. But they were most clearly aimed at Mrs Merkel, who famously declared “Islam belongs in Germany” in a 2015 press conference after opening the country’s borders to about a million asylum seekers.

“Islam does not belong in Germany,” Mr Seehofer told Bild newspaper. “Germany is shaped by Christianity. That means not working on Sundays, and celebrating religious holidays such as Easter, Pentecost and Christmas.

“Of course the Muslims who live with us belong in Germany. But that doesn’t mean we should give up our national traditions and customs.”

Mr Seehofer has long been an opponent of Mrs Merkel’s refugee policy and the dispute almost ended a longstanding alliance between the two parties. They patched up their differences before last year’s election and Mr Seehofer was given control of migration and asylum policy.

But his remarks yesterday suggested he was ready to reopen the feud in government. Mrs Merkel responded angrily: “We want an Islam based on the constitution and compliant with constitutional law,” she said on a visit to Paris. “We must do everything we can to allow religions to live together in peace.”

Mr Seehofer also came under attack from Annegret Kramp-karrenbauer, the chairman of Mrs Merkel’s liberalconservative Christian Democrat party (CDU) and the woman widely seen as her eventual successor.

She said: “Freedom of religion undoubtedly belongs in Germany, just as the Muslims in Germany, together with their faith, belong in our country.”

Nearly five million Muslims live in Germany, about half of whom are German citizens. Around 60 per cent are of Turkish heritage and lived in Germany long before Mrs Merkel’s decision to open the borders to asylum seekers.

Mr Seehofer later sought to clarify his remarks.

“Our country, Germany, has been shaped by Christianity for centuries. That’s why it’s wrong to say Islam belongs in Germany, “he said. “But of course we have tolerance and respect for other religious communities.”