When Muhterem Aras became the first Muslim house speaker of one of Germany's federal parliaments in May, the time could not have been more sensitive. The country had just welcomed more than 1 million refugees in 2015 — many of them Muslims. For months, tensions had risen between supporters and opponents of refugees. [...]
Parliamentary presidents' words carry particular weight because of their significance for bridging the divides between various parties. The office could enable Aras to become a significant counterweight to the Alternative for Germany, an anti-foreigner party which has double-digit approval ratings in the polls at the moment. In an interview with WorldViews, Aras discussed her election as well as how the country should respond to the current refugee crisis.
No comments:
Post a Comment