Ryyan Alshebl fled Syria’s civil war for Germany without knowing a word of German. Eight years on, he’s not only fluent but also the recently elected mayor of Ostelsheim, a small town in the southwest.
“German society is ready to break new ground,” Alshebl, 29, told NBC News in a phone call this month.
STAY IN THE KNOW
Watch NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
|
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters. |
But his victory was far from “a matter of course” in the town of about 2,500 people. The country struggles with small, but regular neo-Nazi gatherings as well as a surge in popularity of the Alternative for Germany party and other far-right political groups.
Read more at NBCNews.com.
Get top local stories in Boston delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Boston's News Headlines newsletter.