BERLIN: A Syrian man who came to Germany as an asylum-seeker in 2015 and was running for a seat in parliament in his new country’s September election said Tuesday that he is withdrawing his candidacy.
Tareq Alaows, who joined the opposition Green party last year and was running as its candidate in a constituency in western Germany in the Sept. 26 vote, said in a statement that he made his decision for personal reasons.
“The high threat level for me but especially for people close to me is the most important reason for withdrawing my candidacy,” Alaows wrote, without elaborating. He also said he experienced a lot of racism during his campaign, which he started early last month.
“My candidacy showed that in all parties in politics and across society, strong structures are needed to confront racism and help those affected,” he said.
Before fleeing to Germany, Alaows participated in peaceful protests against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government while studying law at the University of Aleppo. He also volunteered for the Red Crescent relief group during the civil war and helped register internally displaced people.
After his arrival in Germany, he soon became active in politics again, protesting for more rights and improved living conditions of asylum-seekers in the country.
Alaows, who is fluent in German and works as a legal counselor for asylum-seekers, said he wanted to give a voice to the country’s asylum-seekers in parliament.
His party said there had been anonymous death threats against Alaows’ family in Syria if he stuck to his bid for a seat in parliament.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas noted that Alaows’ candidacy for the German parliament was the first by a refugee from Syria and said on Twitter “it is depressing for our democracy that this has failed because of threats & racism.” Maas, a member of the rival center-left Social Democrats, voiced “solidarity” with Alaows.
Syrian who fled to Germany drops out of race for parliament
https://arab.news/jdh9w
Syrian who fled to Germany drops out of race for parliament
- 'The high threat level for me but especially for people close to me is the most important reason for withdrawing my candidacy'
- Alaows’ candidacy for the German parliament was the first by a refugee from Syria
Pakistan killed over 80 militants in strikes on TTP camps in Afghanistan — official
- Saturday’s airstrikes followed a series of attacks inside Pakistan amid a surge in militancy
- The Afghan Taliban authorities accuse Pakistani forces of killing civilians in the airstrikes
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan destroyed seven Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) camps and killed over 80 militants, a Pakistani security official said on Sunday, with the Afghan Taliban accusing Pakistani forces of killing civilians in the assault.
Saturday’s airstrikes followed a series of attacks inside Pakistan amid a surge in militancy. Authorities say the attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, were carried out by the TTP and allied groups that Islamabad alleges are operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan. Kabul denies this.
According to Pakistan’s information ministry, recent incidents included a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, separate attacks in Bajaur and Bannu, and another recent incident in Bannu during the holy month of Ramadan, which started earlier this week. The government said it had “conclusive evidence” linking the attacks to militants directed by leadership based in Afghanistan.
“Last night, Pakistan’s intelligence-based air strikes destroyed seven centers of Fitna Al-Khawarij TTP in three provinces of Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost, in which more than eighty Khawarij (TTP militants) have been confirmed killed, while more are expected,” a Pakistani security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Arab News.
An earlier statement from Pakistan’s information ministry said the targets included a camp of a Daesh regional affiliate, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which claimed a suicide bombing at an Islamabad Shiite mosque that killed 32 people this month.
In an X post, Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani forces had violated Afghan territory.
“Pakistani special military circles have once again trespassed into Afghan territory,” Mujahid said. “Last night, they bombed our civilian compatriots in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, martyring and wounding dozens of people, including women and children.”
The Afghan Taliban’s claims of civilian casualties could not be independently verified. Pakistan did not immediately comment on the allegation that civilians had been killed in the strikes.
In a post on X, Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said it had summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires to Afghanistan Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani and lodged protest through a formal démarche in response to the Pakistani military strikes.
“IEA-MoFA (The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs) vehemently condemns the violation of Afghanistan’s airspace and the targeting of civilians, describing it as a flagrant breach of Afghanistan’s territorial integrity & a provocative action,” it said in a statement.
“The Pakistani side was also categorically informed that safeguarding Afghanistan’s territorial integrity is the religious responsibility of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan; henceforth, the responsibility for any adverse consequences of such actions will rest with the opposing side.”
Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have escalated since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021. Pakistan says cross-border militant attacks have increased since then and has accused the Taliban of failing to honor commitments under the 2020 Doha Agreement to prevent Afghan soil from being used for attacks against other countries. The Taliban deny allowing such activity and have previously rejected similar accusations.
Saturday’s exchange of accusations marks one of the most direct confrontations between the two neighbors in recent months and risks further straining already fragile ties along the volatile border.
