German far-right politician resigns after converting to Islam
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2:11:00 AM |
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Arthur Wagner, a politician in the eastern state of
Brandenberg, has become a Muslim. His Alternative for Germany (AfD)
party entered the Bundestag last year following a populist, anti-Islam
campaign.
The far-right, anti-Islam Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on Tuesday confirmed reports in the German media that one of its politicians, Arthur Wagner, has converted to Islam.
Wagner, a leading AfD member in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, resigned his position on the party's national executive committee on January 11 for personal reasons, AfD spokesman Daniel Friese said.
"The party has no problem with that," added Friese.
He insisted the AfD's national party included groups representing the interests of Muslims, as well as Christians.
Wagner, a German of Russian origin, had been a representative of the AfD since 2015. He was a member of the state committee with responsibility for churches and religious communities.
Before joining the anti-Islam, anti-immigration party, he was a member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU).
Wagner refused to answer questions from the German daily newspaper Tagesspiegel, who first reported his conversion to the Islamic faith.
"That's my private business," he told the newspaper. But he said there had been no attempt by the party to force him to resign.
The AfD entered Germany's national parliament, the Bundestag, for the first time following September's national election - becoming the third largest party.
Wagner is not the first far-right politician to convert to Islam, according to the German daily Die Welt.
Arnoud van Doorn was ask to leave Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders‘ Freedom Party (PVV). It later emerged he had taken up the Muslim faith and traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform the Haj, the Guardian reported.
The far-right, anti-Islam Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on Tuesday confirmed reports in the German media that one of its politicians, Arthur Wagner, has converted to Islam.
Wagner, a leading AfD member in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, resigned his position on the party's national executive committee on January 11 for personal reasons, AfD spokesman Daniel Friese said.
"The party has no problem with that," added Friese.
He insisted the AfD's national party included groups representing the interests of Muslims, as well as Christians.
Wagner, a German of Russian origin, had been a representative of the AfD since 2015. He was a member of the state committee with responsibility for churches and religious communities.
Before joining the anti-Islam, anti-immigration party, he was a member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU).
Wagner refused to answer questions from the German daily newspaper Tagesspiegel, who first reported his conversion to the Islamic faith.
"That's my private business," he told the newspaper. But he said there had been no attempt by the party to force him to resign.
The AfD entered Germany's national parliament, the Bundestag, for the first time following September's national election - becoming the third largest party.
Wagner is not the first far-right politician to convert to Islam, according to the German daily Die Welt.
Arnoud van Doorn was ask to leave Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders‘ Freedom Party (PVV). It later emerged he had taken up the Muslim faith and traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform the Haj, the Guardian reported.
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