AfD leader walks out of talks with Muslim council

Record ID: 102359

  • Title: AfD leader walks out of talks with Muslim council
  • Date: 23rd May 2016
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (MAY 23, 2016) (REUTERS) PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL COUNCIL OF MUSLIMS IN GERMANY, AIMAN MAZYEK, ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE BANNER READING (German): "MUSLIM CENTRAL COUNCIL" (SOUNDBITE) (German) PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN MUSLIM CENTRAL COUNCIL, AIMAN MAZYEK, SAYING: "We said that the constitution is not negotiable for us. And that is the basis of our talks. I am sorry to say that the AfD walked out of our meeting without fulfilling it. And that none of them were ready to address any of the problematic and key issues in their party program. Among them were the demands for us how to build our holy places, the mosques. Their demands on halal butchering as well as other issues. Their demands on women's right of self-determination and the right to wear a veil or not. And that said, the typical saying 'Islam is not a part of Germany' is the way that populism, defamation and the stirring up prejudices will go on." CAMERAMAN MAZYEK AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN MUSLIM CENTRAL COUNCIL, AIMAN MAZYEK, SAYING: "We are concerned that the AfD program will go on with this general defamation of a whole religious community. And that it is a setback for our society. And we think that reminds us of the darkest side of our history. And we have asked the AfD to take back this way of thinking and acting because it is very dangerous for our society." BANNER READING (Turkish/English): "CENTRAL COUNCIL OF MUSLIMS IN GERMANY" MAZYEK LEAVING ALTERNATIVE FOR GERMANY (AfD) LEADERS APPROACHING JOURNALISTS JOURNALIST WRITING (SOUNDBITE) (German) ALTERNATIVE FOR GERMANY (AfD) LEADER, FRAUKE PETRY, SAYING: "For us, these talks have always been seen as a dialogue on an equal level as the AfD is a democratic party that today represents 15 percent of the German population according to recent polls. And we think it is a bit arrogant that the central council - which represents 10,000 Muslims of the more than four million that live in Germany - are laying those accusations against us. I think it would be good to start these talks on an eye-to-eye basis but unfortunately it did not happen. It is therefore up to the central council to re-establish this equality. Until then, we don't see any reason to continue these talks." JOURNALIST WRITING (SOUNDBITE) (German) ALTERNATIVE FOR GERMANY (AfD) VICE-PRESIDENT, ALBRECHT GLASER, SAYING: "If the intolerance of Islam puts away the tolerance of the Western world and they do not put that into practice, then we have the same problem as when the enemies of the constitution in Germany want to reach power, and subsequently try to undermine the constitution. That is what it is all about." AFD LEADERS SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS
  • Embargoed: 7th June 2016 13:29
  • Keywords: AFD Islam Petry Germany
  • Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • City: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014J12TS7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Germany's anti-immigration party leader Frauke Petry walked out of a meeting with the German Muslim Central Council on Monday (May 23).
    The talks, suggested by the Muslim Council in April, come after AfD militants backed a controversial election manifesto that says Islam is not compatible with the constitution and calls for a ban on minarets and the burqa.
    The AfD manifesto, entitled "Islam is not a part of Germany", demands a ban to minarets - the towers of a mosque from where the call to Muslim prayer is made - and the burqa, the all-encompassing body garment worn by some conservative Muslim women.
    The leader of the Muslim Council, Aiman Mazyek, said freedom of religion is guaranteed by Germany's constitution.
    "We said that the constitution is not negotiable for us. And that is the basis of our talks. I am sorry to say that the AfD walked out of our meeting without fulfilling it. And that none of them were ready to address any of the problematic and key issues in their party program. Among them were the demands for us how to build our holy places, the mosques. Their demands on halal butchering as well as other issues. Their demands on women's right of self-determination and the right to wear a veil or not. And that said, the typical saying 'Islam is not a part of Germany' is the way that populism, defamation and the stirring up prejudices will go on," he said.
    Germany is home to nearly four million Muslims, about five percent of the total population. Many of the longer established Muslim community in Germany came from Turkey to find work, but those who have arrived over the past year have mostly been fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
    Set up three years ago, the AfD has been buoyed by Europe's migrant crisis, which saw the arrival of more than one million, mostly Muslim migrants, in Germany last year. The party has no lawmakers in the federal parliament in Berlin but has members in half of Germany's 16 regional state assemblies.
    "For us these talks have always been seen as a dialogue on an equal level as the AfD is a democratic party that today represents 15 percent of the German population according to recent polls. And we think it is a bit arrogant that the central council - which represents 10,000 Muslims of the more than four million that live in Germany - are laying those accusations against us. I think it would be good to start these talks on an eye-to-eye basis but unfortunately it did not happen. It is therefore up to the central council to re-establish this equality. Until then we don't see any reason to continue these talks," Petry said after walking out of talks.
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