German politician Helge Lindh, who represents the Social Democratic Party (SPD), in a speech to the Bundestag, the country’s federal parliament, slammed Islamophobia and said Germans need to strive to “understand Muslims instead of trying to change them.”
“I apologize for the violence and humiliation Muslims have been subjected to,” he said in accompaniment to applause.
He slammed the far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany) Party for exacerbating the situation in the country with its racist policies.
"You are playing a devastating game for democracy. Those who play with democracy play with people. And these games have victims, and Muslims definitely are the victims of these treacherous games. Don't play with democracy. This is what the AfD does."
He advised the politicians present to read Hilal Sezgin, the daughter of Turkish history professor Fuat Sezgin, and to educate themselves to better understand Muslims.
"What is happening in the mosques? What do death threats mean for Muslims? How do these make Muslims feel? Have you ever asked yourself this question? No, you definitely didn't ask, but we all should think about that," he said.
“If we tell Muslims what we expect from them, how they should behave, we will humiliate them and reap hatred. Let's not go on telling Muslims what modern Islam is. Try to understand what it means to find a job as a trained covered woman. Only then can we venture more into discussing Islam.”
Following his speech, Turkish-German footballer Mesut Özil took to social media and thanked Lindh for his speech saying, “Thanks and respect to the German politician Helge Lindh for having the courage to speak about Islamophobia in public.”
