Controversial passage - "Cheating on the AfD": Islamic associations criticize CDU draft programme
A passage on Muslims in Germany in the draft of the CDU's new platform has sparked outrage among several Islamic associations. "Muslims who share our values belong to Germany," reads the draft, which was presented in Berlin on Monday. And further: "Sharia law does not belong to Germany."
The chairman of the Central Council of Muslims, Aiman Mazyek, accused the CDU of fishing on the fringes of the right: "Spying on the AfD wasn't particularly clever at school," he told stern magazine. "Incidentally, experience shows that voters will ultimately vote for the original."
The German Islamic Council also criticized the passage: "Such discussions are exclusionary and lead to confusion," Burhan Kesici, Chairman of the Islamic Council, told stern. "Such statements make it difficult for Muslims to identify with Germany." The sentence is "problematic because, on the one hand, 'our values' are not defined", said Kesici: "What values are we talking about here? Secondly, the statement suggests that Muslims would reject the values in Germany."
CDU draft program: Differentiation from previous statements
With this passage, the CDU is distancing itself from a statement by former Federal President Christian Wulff, who said in 2010: "Islam is now also part of Germany." Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and CDU veteran Wolfgang Schäuble had also made similar statements.
The CDU had initiated the process for a new basic program after losing power in the 2021 federal elections. The current manifesto dates back to 2007. In its draft for a new manifesto, the CDU proposes a change of system in asylum policy, a commitment to a German "Leitkultur" and to nuclear power, as well as reforms in pension and labour market policy. You can read the details here.
The new basic program is to be officially adopted by the Executive Board at a closed meeting in Heidelberg on 12 and 13 January. Afterwards, the almost 70-page draft will be discussed with the members and then adopted by the 1001 delegates at the party conference in May.
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The CDU, facing criticism from Islamic associations such as the Central Council and the German Islamic Council, has included a controversial passage in its draft program, referring to Muslims and Sharia law. The AfD, a far-right political party, was also mentioned in relation to this controversy.
Despite the CDU's attempts to differentiate itself from previous statements, like that of former Federal President Christian Wulff, stating that Islam is now part of Germany, the new draft program has sparked concerns among Muslim communities in Germany.
Source: www.stern.de
