Volker Kauder, a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, said Islam had not influenced Germany historically or culturally. But he warned against excluding Muslims from German society as desired by some populists.
Image: picture-alliance/R. Hackenberg
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Kauder told the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" in an interview published on Thursday that he considered a statement by former German President Christian Wulff saying that Islam was part of Germany to have been "well-meant," but imprecise.
"But just so there is no misunderstanding: The Muslims themselves are a part of Germany, no question about it," he said.
Kauder, who heads the parliamentary group of the union comprised of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), said he had several reasons for not sharing Wulff's opinion.
Kauder's recent call for the monitoring of German mosques provoked some criticismImage: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Seeger
Among other things, he said, Islam had not shaped Germany "historically and culturally." He also argued that the religion of Islam was not based on a homogeneous set of teachings.
"There is certainly not just the one Islam, as this statement suggests," he said, adding that Islam also took on forms "that we can never accept in Germany."
However, he stressed that Muslims enjoyed the same freedom of religion as people of other faiths, and should not be excluded in the way many right-wing populists were currently proposing.
'Minarets allowed'
"That's why it is, of course, permissible to build mosques with minarets," the CDU politician said, in allusion to a recent decision by the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) to include a ban on minarets in its manifesto.
The AfD has voiced concern at an alleged influence of Islam in GermanyImage: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Bockwoldt
But Kauder said that even freedom of religion was not without restrictions, and was subject to other principles laid down by the German constitution: "Religion in Germany never stands above the state," the Christian Democrat said.
Kauder last week caused a stir with a demand that mosques in Germany be placed under the control of the state, claiming that things were being preached in some Muslim places of worship that were not in keeping with German values.
Kauder's remarks in the interview came against the backdrop of the recently finalized AfD manifesto, which contains the sentence, "Islam is not part of Germany." The AfD is facing criticism from many quarters that its anti-Islam stance is aimed at creating divisions in German society.
tj/msh (KNA, AFP, Reuters)
Berlin's mosques
There are more than 80 mosques in the German capital. Ranging in style from classical to modern, these Islamic places of worship have become an integral part of Berlin's history and cultural fabric.
Image: Max Zander
Indian inspiration
The Berlin Mosque, surrounded by residential homes in Berlin's Wilmersdorf district, is the oldest surviving mosque in Germany. The building was designed by German architect Karl August Herrmann and was officially opened in 1928. It is modeled on the Taj Mahal in India.
Image: Max Zander
A missionary mosque
All sermons have been held in German since the mosque was opened, although the calligraphy on the prayer room walls is in Arabic. The complex was originally built for the purpose of proselytizing - the first German couple who converted to Islam was married here in 1934. Today the mosque is mainly used for Friday prayers and as an information center.
Image: Max Zander
Surviving war
The scars of time are visible on the Ahmadiyya Mosque's inner walls. The structure was badly damaged by Soviet army bombardments during World War II. It was later restored during the postwar period, thanks to help from the Allies and donations from Lahore. The mosque has been listed as a historical monument since 1993.
Image: Max Zander
Bauhaus meets Islam
Another house of worship belonging to the Ahmadiyya community is located in Berlin's Heinersdorf district. The Khadija mosque was the first to be built in what used to be communist East Germany, and is a fusion of Western and Islamic architecture. Here, the modernist Bauhaus style is coupled with the characteristic dome and a 12.5-meter (41-foot) minaret.
Image: Max Zander
Controversial beginnings
There were violent protests leading up to the mosque's opening in 2008. The fact that it was finally accepted by the community is to the credit of the "Open up Heinersdorf" initiative and its first Imam Abdul Basit Tariq, who advocated for openness, sharing and "love for all, hatred for none."
Image: Max Zander
Simple elegance
Functionality is a key feature of the building's interior, and local architect Mubashra Ilyas shied away from using too many decorative elements. The building has enough space for a total of 500 worshippers. The lower rooms can accommodate around 250 people, and there's a separate area above the main hall reserved for women.
Image: Max Zander
Berlin's biggest
The Sehitlik Mosque in Neukölln serves as a cultural center as well as a place of worship. It can hold up to 1,500 people, and is the largest Islamic mosque in Berlin. It was one of the selected locations visited by German President Joachim Gauck during his official inauguration in 2012.
Image: Max Zander
Islamic cemetery
The mosque was built next to the Islamic Sehitlik cemetery in the 1980s and was later extended. Prussian King Wilhelm I transfered the land to the Turkish community back in 1866. Today, only funeral ceremonies are performed on the property. The dead are then usually taken to other cemeteries or to their home countries.
Image: Max Zander
Cultural exchange
The mosque isn't just for Muslims. The Sehitlik community also seeks to foster a relationship with Berlin's non-Muslim population. The mosque hosts a variety of events and offers tours several times a day. Guides point out the mosque's features and aim to give visitors a better understanding of the principles of Islam.
Image: Max Zander
Islamic center in Kreuzberg
At first glance, the Umar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque doesn't look like a place of worship. It blends in rather harmoniously with this street block in the heart of Kreuzberg. It's part of the Islamic Mashari Center, where shops, cafes and a travel agency are housed next to prayer rooms. A madrasa was also opened here in 2008.
Image: Max Zander
Opulent washrooms
Magnificently decorated walls and ceilings form the backdrop for the washrooms in the Mashari center's basement. This is where the faithful carry out their ritual ablutions. Islam requires devout Muslims to pray five times a day, but before they can do this they need to ensure physical and mental purity.
Image: Max Zander
A truly international community
There's enough space for about 1,000 people in the prayer room beneath the opulent chandeliers. Most of those who come to the mosque have Turkish roots, but Bosnians, Arabs and Africans also attend prayer here. The Friday prayer is usually held in Arabic, while screens on the walls give translations in German and Turkish.
Image: Max Zander
One mosque, two domes
This dome stands out like a molehill in the mosque's backyard. Even Islamic places of worship are subject to Berlin's building regulations - this green roof is obligatory under the city's codes. At the front of the property there's another dome made of glass, where the site's caretaker lives.
