BERLIN – Offering support to the Muslim community, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced she will attend a vigil for tolerance in Berlin, in a clear message against rising anti-Islam, far-right group Pegida.
“Islam belongs to Germany,” Merkel said, speaking out against marches by Pegida in parts of the country, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported.
The rally was held on Tuesday afternoon at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate under the banner “Let’s be there for each other. Terror: not in our name!”
It was called by the Central Council of Muslims in Germany (ZMD), which represents 28 different Muslim organizations, and the Turkish Community of Berlin (TGB).
At the rally, German President Joachim Gauck said “we are all Germany”, sending a message of unity in the face of rising Islamophobia and last week’s attacks in Paris.
Uniting against extremism and Islamophobia, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Joachim Gauck stopped with ZMD chairman Ayman A. Mazyek in front of the French embassy for a moment of silence.
Pegida drew a record 25,000 marchers to its 12th weekly rally in Dresden, its flag-waving members holding a minute’s silence for the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris last week.
Its latest protest was met by some 100,000 counter-demonstrators nationwide, who accused Pegida of exploiting the French attacks by Islamist gunmen, and who voiced support for a multicultural German society.
Prayer
Starting the rally by a Muslim prayer, Mazyek took the podium where Christian and Jewish leader joined the rally.
Mayzek said “we all mourn” with France and the victims’ families.
“The terrorists have not won and will not win” he said to applause, and called on those gathered to stand together as a “society open to world.” He concluded with “we are all Germany.”
The German chancellor also thanked leaders of Germany’s 4 million-strong Muslim community for quickly and clearly condemning the violence committed in the name of Islam in Paris.
“Germany wants peaceful coexistence of Muslims and members of other religions” and the vigil would send a strong message, she said at a joint press conference with the Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu.
Germany is believed to be home to nearly 4 million Muslims, including 220,000 in Berlin alone. Turks make up an estimated two thirds of the Muslim minority.
Germans have grown hostile to the Muslim presence recently, with a heated debate on the Muslim immigration into the country.
Over the past weeks, the group “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident” or PEGIDA has been holding weekly marches against Muslims and immigrants.
According to an opinion Poll, 1 in 8 Germans said that they would join anti-Muslims marches organized by PEGIDA.
The anti-Islam protests have been condemned by Ulrich Grillo, the president of the German Federation of Industry, for undermining the country’s interests and values.
Late in December 2014, Merkel urged people in her New Year’s speech to help refugees fleeing conflicts, telling them to turn their backs to the “racist”, “full of hatred” anti-Muslim movement.