SYRIAN REFUGEE WITHDRAWS BID TO RUN FOR SEAT IN GERMAN BUNDESTAG

A Syrian activist who arrived in Germany as a refugee has withdrawn his candidacy for the German parliament after he and his family received death threats, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

The Oberhausen district chapter of the Greens, for whom Tareq Alaows was running, announced his resignation in a statement on Tuesday. "The high threat situation for me and especially for those close to me is the most important reason for the withdrawal of my candidacy," Alaows said, according to the statement.

A party spokesperson said Alaows received anonymous death threats against his family in Syria if he were to stand for election. Alaows was meant to be "the first Syrian refugee in the Bundestag," giving "a political voice to the hundreds of thousands of people who have been forced to flee and who live with us," according to the video announcing his candidacy in February.

His district chapter regretted his decision. "We would have wished to continue fighting for a humane asylum and migration policy with Mister Alaows as our parliamentary candidate," the chapter said.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas reacted to the move, saying it was "disgraceful for our democracy" that the first parliamentary bid by a refugee from Syria failed because of death threats and racism.

He called for solidarity with Alaows, as well as with "everyone doing volunteer activist work and facing hostility." Alaows arrived in Germany five years ago and got involved in local politics within months, campaigning for refugee rights and later going on to organize demonstrations to support migrant rescue charities.

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