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The Central Council of Muslims in Germany will discuss Islam with officials from Alternative for Germany. Since AfD switched focus from Euroskepticism to immigration, Islam has become the party's top grievance.
On Monday, Frauke Petry (right in photo), the chairwoman of Alternative for Germany (AfD), will meet with the Central Council of Muslims in Germany (ZMD). Petry will be taking on questions about AfD's recently published policy agenda, which includes the statement that "Islam does not belong in Germany." Also included in the AfD's policy paper is a ban on minarets, the Islamic call to prayer, and clothing that fully covers the face or body such as niqabs and burqas.
The program, which set to paper the anti-Islam rhetoric that the AfD had used for months, was adopted by more than 2,000 members at the party's congress three weeks ago. The AfD had made Islam its focal point when refugees from mostly Muslim countries began to arrive in Germany in increased numbers last year. However, AfD leaders have generally tried to cover themselves by saying that they are criticizing the religion itself rather than individual believers. Here are a few quotes from top AfD figures: