Former German President Christian Wulff has defended his statement that “Islam now also belongs to Germany”. “Muslims are the second-largest faith community in Europe. Therefore, they belong to Europe as well”, he said in an interview with the “Tagesanbruch” podcast by “T-Online” on Wednesday. Wulff had first made this statement in a speech on October 3, 2010, sparking a debate.
He also pointed out that Germany will need a significant part of the Muslim refugees in the future, if they are to work as doctors, caregivers, educators, or entrepreneurs. “We will be grateful to many refugees”, Wulff said.
The CDU had recently distanced itself from Wulff’s Islam statement in its new party program debate. “Muslims are part of the religious diversity in Germany and our society”, the new program now reads. “Many of them have found a new home in Germany for decades already. An Islam that does not share our values and rejects our free society does not belong in Germany”.