Germany slams Saudi Arabia's offer to build mosques for Syrian refugees as ‘cynical’

Politician says Germany does not need a cash donation to build 200 mosques but solidarity with refugees

Politicians in Germany have criticised Saudi Arabia’s offer to build 200 mosques in the country for the ‘spiritual needs’ of Syrian refugees, given that the Kingdom has not offered to take in refugees fleeing from the civil war in Syria.

“No, it is more than cynical. This is no Muslim Brotherhood. Where is the solidarity in the Arab world?” Andrea Scheuer, general secretary of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) party in Bavaria which is Chancellor Angela Merkel's ally in the state, asked.

Read: Saudi Arabia, building 200 mosques will not help the refugee crisis

Saudi Arabia offered to build mosques in Germany as tens of thousands of refugees make their way to the Hungarian border to seek asylum in European countries, especially Germany, which will be taking in 800,000 migrants this year.

Saudi monarch King Salman reportedly made the offer through diplomatic channels and the news surfaced in Lebanese newspaper al diyar.

Read: In rich Gulf Arab states, some feel shamed by refugee response

Another German politician, Stephan Mayer, the domestic policy spokesperson of both the CSU and Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in parliament in Berlin, agreed with Scheuer, adding, “Germany does not need a cash donation to build 200 mosques but solidarity with the refugees.”

CDU Deputy Chairman Armin Laschet also voiced his opinion and said, “Instead of talking about funding mosques, Saudi Arabia should be thinking about taking refugees.”

Read: Saudi Arabia claims it has welcomed 100,000 Syrians

Following the Saudi offer, there was widespread outrage in Germany, with many newspapers expressing indignation that Germany would even consider such an offer from a country which gave out extreme punishments such as stoning, flogging and limb mutiliation.

This article originally appeared on Daily Mail