Cross on the wall of a Munich courtroom during a trial of a suspected Islamic State member in January 2015 © Michaela Rehle / Reuters
The Cross > Islam.
Germany’s Bavaria has ordered Christian crosses to be placed over the entrances of government buildings to reflect its “cultural identity” as the state continues its feud with Berlin over multiculturalism and open-door policies.
The crosses should not be seen as “the sign of a religion,” according to Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder, but as a way to reflect the conservative state’s
“cultural identity and Christian-western influence.”
Bavaria has already made displaying crosses compulsory in public schools and courtrooms. The new rule will reportedly not be applied to municipal and federal government buildings.
The governing Christian Social Union, which is the Bavarian sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, is trying to stave off competition from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has run anti-Muslim campaigns that have played well with many German voters that are unhappy with Merkel’s open border approach to the refugee crisis. The AfD was up 12 percent in the most recent election in the southern region.
