Islam ‘not part of Germany’, says minister

Germany’s new interior minister has said he does not consider Islam to be a part of Germany, a position that puts him at odds with Chancellor Angela Merkel on the question of migration.

Horst Seehofer, the country’s leading security official, said that Islam “doesn’t belong to Germany”, but added: “The Muslims who live with us are, of course, part of Germany.”

Mr Seehofer said his message to Muslims was: “Live with us, not parallel to or against us.” His Christian Social Union, which has always taken a harder line on migration than Mrs Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union, faces a state election later this year. The anti-islam Alternative for Germany party is relatively strong in Bavaria and some of its legislators welcomed his comments.