German Chancellor Angela Merkel has distanced herself from a declaration made by her new interior minister that Islam is not part of Germany.
Asked by the top-selling Bild daily whether the influx of Muslim migrants and asylum seekers meant that Islam now belonged to the fabric of the nation, Minister Horst Seehofer replied "no".
"Christianity has shaped Germany including Sunday as a day of rest, church holidays, and rituals such as Easter and Christmas," he said.
"The Muslims who live among us are naturally part of Germany. But that of course does not mean that we, out of a false sense of deference, should sacrifice our traditions and customs."
But Merkel was quick to come down firmly on the side of inclusion, saying Germany’s four million Muslims belonged in the country.
"These Muslims are part of Germany and with them, their religion, Islam, is just as much a part of Germany," she told reporters in Berlin after talks with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven.
Seehofer, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Merkel's Christian Democrats, is new to the cabinet.
His comments drew sharp criticism from several politicians.
Some accused him of incitement and others said a stance of exclusion would be catastrophic.
