Berlin (dpa) – German conservatives who stress their country‘s ethnic
German roots on Wednesday criticized Chancellor Angela Merkel‘s
insistence this week that Islam belongs in today‘s Germany.

Horst Seehofer, premier of the state of Bavaria and a key Merkel ally
as leader of the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU) party,
dissociated himself from Merkel‘s stance without directly attacking
her.

“I‘m not going to start off a debate about such statements,” said
Seehofer, when asked in Munich to comment on Merkel‘s Monday
statement that Islam is part of German life. “I‘m not a censor.”

But he added that his party preferred to focus on the Christian
heritage of Bavaria, adding, “We have a centuries-old tradition that
is based on our Christian and Jewish roots.”

A national identity debate about Islam‘s role has simmered in Germany
since the president of the day, Christian Wulff, stressed in 2010
that Muslims were a full part of German society. He was fiercely
criticized on nationalist grounds.

Wulff was later forced out of office by a controversy over alleged
sleaze, but was acquitted at trial.

Conservatives have repeatedly insisted that they are tolerant towards
Muslims, but that they would draw the line at saying Islam belongs.

Within her own party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a leading
conservative legislator also distanced himself from Merkel‘s warmest
embrace yet of Muslims, who are estimated to make up 5 per cent of
the population.

Wolfgang Bosbach told Wednesday‘s issue of the newspaper Saarbruecker
Zeitung he did not share Merkel‘s view “in all its broadness.”

“Which Islam is meant here? Does this apply to the Islamist and
Salafist currents?” he told the newspaper, referring to Salafism, a
fundamentalist movement that rejects Islam‘s adaptation to modernity.

“The roots of our nation are characterized by the Christian and
Jewish tradition,” said another CDU legislator from the Bundestag
parliament, Thomas Bareiss.

Recent surveys show 52 per cent of Germans disagree with the Wulff
and Merkel position towards Islam when questioned by pollsters.

About one-third have voiced sympathy with the aims of an anti-Islam
rallies organized by Pegida – or Patriotic Europeans Against the
Islamization of the West – a group that contends it is only hostile
to “radical” Muslims.