In a curious development, a prominent leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a political party known for its racist and islamophobic tendencies, has converted to Islam and resigned from his position with the party.
Arthur Wagner, a leading member of the far-right party in Germany's eastern German state of Brandenburg, stepped down for "personal reasons", a party spokesperson confirmed, according to state broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
Wagner, who has been a member of the party since 2015, refused to comment to Tagesspiegel, the daily newspaper that first broke the news of his conversion. "That's my private business," he told the daily.
On the party's Brandenburg state committee, Wagner's work focused on churches and faith communities, according to Deutsche Welle.
The AfD has campaigned against refugees and migrants and made history when it won 12.6 percent of the vote in federal elections in September 2017, entering the Bundestag for the first time.
The party became the third largest party in the Bundestag.
The news sparked derision on social media, with many Twitter users pointing to the irony of Wagner converting to Islam after being a high-ranking member of a party that has railed against the presence of Muslims in Germany.
Emily Dische-Becker said: "Creeping Sharia picks up speed as politician from Germany's islamophobic AfD converts to Islam." Mark Berry said: "I really don't understand Nazis."
Originally founded in 2013 as a Eurosceptic party, the AfD took the lead as the most aggressive anti-refugee voice in the country while nearly a million asylum seekers arrived in Germany in 2015.
In the party's first bill since its electoral success in September, the AfD proposed amending Germany's Residence Act by barring refugees from bringing their relatives from the war-ravaged countries they fled.
Earlier this month, Beatrix von Storch, the deputy leader of the AfD's parliamentary group, was blocked from Facebook and Twitter after publishing Islamophobic posts criticising police for posting Arabic-language updates on New Year's Eve.
She had written: "What the hell is happening in this country? Why is an official police site tweeting in Arabic? Do you think it is to appease the barbaric, gang-raping hordes of Muslim men?"
The party has also sought to ban the construction of mosques in Germany.
In March 2016, the party's Bavaria branch published a policy statement calling for an end to the "construction and operation" of mosques in the region, Deutsche Welle reported at the time.
In February of that year, then party leader Petry Frauke sparked outrage when she proclaimed that German border guards should "use fire arms if necessary" in order to prevent "illegal border crossings" by refugees and migrants.
In April 2016, the AfD's Alexander Gauland proclaimed that Germany must remain "a Christian country" and "Islam is a foreign entity".
The rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric has also coincided with a spike in violence against asylum seekers. The German interior ministry documented 3,533 attacks on refugees and their accommodations - nearly 10 a day - in 2016.
Comments
Many men want to embrace Islam cause want to marry again, and can marry up to four wives. Criminality made legal.
Alhamdulillah
this is the example and truth of Islam , the more someone hate Islam ,Islam will grow faster ,and people will understand the islam religion,
Masha Allah
Alhamdullillah... Thanks to Allah...
Many people try to demonize ISLAM without knowledge. When they learn ISLAM is the means of this life. They want to follow the religion of ONE GOD who is worthy of Worship... When we are honest in searching for God, Just says The one who put soul in me Please Guide me to TRUTH. Have trust and U will definetely SEE The truth and understand the world clearly.
For us Muslims this is neither new nor surprising news as we have example of Hazrat Umar (RA) who was a different man before (fierce enemy of Islam) and after (supreme leader of Islam) he revert to Islam.
Surah MUMTAHANA (60) Ayat (7) Allah says - ..Allah will establish Friendship between you and those whom Ye hold as enemies. For Allah has power (over all things); and Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful".
Here is a great lesson for enemies of God and Islam
الحمد لله...................
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