German business leader slams growing anti-Islam rallies

Berlin

A POWERFUL German business leader slammed a growing anti-Islam movement in the country on Tuesday, saying Europe's top economy needed more immigration to remain competitive and should take in more asylum seekers.

The president of the German Federation of Industry, Ulrich Grillo, said the emergence of the group "Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident (which refers to Western Europe)" or Pegida, which has been holding weekly marches, was undermining the country's interests and values.