Attending her first Ramadan iftar as German Chancellor, Angela Merkel has stressed that Islam “is a part of Germany,” deploring increasing anti-Muslim hate attack in the European country.
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“It is obvious that Islam is a part of Germany,” Merkel said in her speech at the iftar held at Villa Borsig, the official guest house of the German Foreign Ministry, in Berlin on Tuesday, Today's Zaman reported.
Merkel speech was given during attending her first Ramadan iftar with Muslim leaders including Integration Minister Aydan Özoğuz.
The iftar was also attended by Coordination Council of Muslims in Germany (KRM) spokesperson Nurhan Soykan, Central Council of Jews in Germany (ZJD) President Josef Schuster, Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) President Heinrich Bedford-Strohm and Central Committee of German Catholics (ZDK) President Alois Glück.
According to spokesperson of the German government Steffen Seibert, the Iftar dinner will become an annual event for the German Chancellor.
Addressing attendants, Merkel described the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast during daylight hours, as a time when Muslims reflect and examine their lives.
The Chancellor also highlighted that the majority of Muslims in Germany were law abiding citizens who abided by the constitution.
She added that she does not approve discrimination against German Muslims.
“Hatred, racism, and extremism have no place in this country. We are a country based on democracy, tolerance, and openness to the world,” she commented.
Germany is believed to be home to nearly 4 million Muslims, including 220,000 in Berlin alone. Turks make up an estimated two thirds of the Muslim minority.
Germans have grown hostile to the Muslim presence recently, with a heated debate on the Muslim immigration into the country.
Over the past months, the group “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident” or PEGIDA has been holding weekly marches against Muslims and immigrants.
According to an opinion Poll published on Thursday, 1 in 8 Germans said that they would join anti-Muslims marches organized by PEGIDA.
The anti-Islam protests have been condemned by Ulrich Grillo, the president of the German Federation of Industry, for undermining the country’s interests and values.
Later in December, 2014, Merkel urged people in her New Year's speech to help refugees fleeing conflicts, telling them to turn their backs to the “racist”, “full of hatred” anti-Muslim movement.
