Germany's top official for relations with the Islamic community, Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich, affirmed Sunday that Muslims belonged in German society, backing away from earlier remarks that had upset some Muslims.
Friedrich, who took over the interior portfolio earlier this month, was set to chair a meeting with Islamic community leaders on Tuesday. Speaking of Muslims, who make up 5 per cent of Germany's population, he said: "The decisive thing for me is that these people belong to this society here." He was speaking in an interview on Deutschlandfunk public radio.
Friedrich's start as minister had been overshadowed by his remark that anyone seeking evidence in German history that Islam belonged in Germany would find nothing.
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