Posted on 03/17/2018 2:30:27 AM PDT by BBell
Angela Merkel’s new government got off to a rocky start on Friday as the chancellor and her interior minister clashed publicly over the role of Islam in Germany society.
Horst Seehofer, 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 slapping down the minister, 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 controversial remarks echoed last year’s election slogans from the nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AfD), which campaigned on an anti-Muslim platform.
But they were most clearly aimed as a broadside against Mrs Merkel, who famously declared “Islam belongs in Germany” in a 2015 press conference after opening the country’s borders to over 1 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.”
The leader of Mrs Merkel’s Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), Mr Seehofer was the leading opponent of her refugee policy and the dispute almost ended the longstanding alliance between the two parties.
But they patched up their differences ahead of last year’s election and Mr Seehofer was given control of migration and asylum policy as interior minister under the new coalition deal. His remarks on Friday suggest he is ready to reopen the feud in government.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Islam disagrees. It wants the whole world and will kill anyone who gets in the way.
The whole world, but the well placed and powerful few agree islam is a cancer and must be radiated out of existence.
Horst Seehofer ought to replace Merkel.
She should be thrown out of the country.
Christians are welcome in Muslims countries?
These 3 look like a trio from a horror film/.
Using Merkel's logic: "There is at least one practicing Satanist in Germany. Thus, Satanism is also part of Germany."
Government statements of this kind should not be merely descriptive; they should be prescriptive.
Regards,
KORRECT!
Just curious. Are they all childless??
Just checked. All three have no children.
Macron & Trudeau also no children. Just a thought.
I don’t think it makes a difference as leaders with kids in our country get to have security protecting them from the plight of the little people.
Germany deserves islam...
Merkle has seen that it does!
Hang Merkle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry - you should have acted sooner.
It's too late now - the die is cast.
Well, the first statement was good & strong, but the follow-up...
“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.”
...was pretty weak.
When he starts demanding that those who fail to ‘integrate’ into German culture get the boot we’ll know things are going to improve.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
