The Central Council of Muslims in Germany has expressed outrage over the new passage on Islam in the CDU’s new party platform. Aiman Mazyek, the chairman of the Central Council of Muslims, believes that the CDU is stigmatizing Muslims with this new wording. However, the CDU argues that it is simply clarifying its position on the issue.
The Central Council of Muslims in Germany strongly opposes the revised wording regarding Muslims in the draft of the CDU’s new party platform. Aiman Mazyek stated that the CDU is attempting to stigmatize Muslims by fishing in troubled waters. In response, Thorsten Frei, the First Parliamentary Managing Director of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, defended the changes, stating that they are not intended to stigmatize but rather to clarify the party’s stance.
The CDU made changes to the controversial wording regarding Muslims in its draft party platform, changing the statement from “Muslims who share our values belong to Germany” to “Muslims are part of the religious diversity of Germany and our society.” A new sentence was added stating, “An Islam that does not share our values and rejects our liberal society does not belong to Germany.” Mazyek criticized the selective nature of the wording, arguing that all worldviews and religious communities should be addressed, rather than singling out and negatively marking a specific group.
Christoph Ploß, a member of the CDU’s application commission, defended the new wording, stating that it clarifies the party’s rejection of an illiberal Islam. The CDU MP emphasized the importance of clearly stating their rejection of an Islam that does not align with their values, further sharpening the party’s profile. The revised version of the party platform was approved by the application commission over the weekend, following intense criticism of the original wording, with SPD leader Lars Klingbeil criticizing it as rhetorically exclusionary.
The controversy surrounding the CDU’s new party platform reflects ongoing debates on how to address Islam and Muslims in Germany. The CDU’s attempt to clarify its position has sparked criticism from Muslim organizations, highlighting the challenges of navigating discussions on religion and integration in a multicultural society. The clash between the CDU and Muslim groups underscores the importance of dialogue and understanding in addressing complex issues related to religion and identity in contemporary Germany.
