Islam not way of life here: German Interior Minister

Germany's new Interior Minister,appointed just last week,has already managed to upset politicians,church leaders and representatives of the Muslim community by saying that Islam is not a part of the German way of life.

JUDY DEMPSEY

Germany’s new Interior Minister,appointed just last week,has already managed to upset politicians,church leaders and representatives of the Muslim community by saying that Islam is not a part of the German way of life.

Islam in Germany is not something substantiated by history at any point, the Interior Minister,Hans-Peter Friedrich,said at his first news conference in his new job,adding that Islam did not play a major role in German culture.

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The Lutheran bishop of Berlin,Markus Dröge,responded by saying he was surprised that Muslims were being singled out by some politicians in discussions of how to integrate Germanys diverse communities. We have a way of life it is democratic,open and based on dialogue and human rights, Bishop Dröge said.

Friedrich reiterated his views about Islam over the weekend,but he also called for a dialogue between Christians and Muslims. Successful integration requires two things: knowledge of the social reality in Germany and a clear awareness of the Western Christian origin of our culture, he said in a statement.

Lamya Kaddor,chairwoman of the Liberal-Islamic Union in Germany,said that Such statements are not only politically and historically wrong,I think they are dangerous. nyt

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