The story of Ryyan Alshebl has caused a stir worldwide. After fleeing the war in Syria eight years ago, he is now mayor of the 2,500-strong municipality of Ostelsheim in the northern Black Forest. He will be officially sworn in on Friday evening during a festive council meeting.
Citizens elected Alshebl (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) in April with an absolute majority of 55.4 percent of the vote. This makes him the first Syrian mayor in southwest Germany.
According to the Baden-Württemberg municipal council, there are no other candidates with Syrian roots for a mayoral office yet. Nationally, the “Network of Young Mayors” does not know of any other mayor who came to Germany as a refugee in 2015.
The story of Ryyan Alshebl has caused a stir worldwide
🇸🇾 Journalists from all over the world are covering Ryyan’s story #Alshebl:
🙌 The #Syrian fled the war in 2015, integrated into a community near the Black Forest and became mayor there.
Watch the video for more details: 📹 #NewsDE #refugeeswelcome pic.twitter.com/z4wCVqnXfY
— All about Germany | deutschland.de (@en_germany) July 7, 2023
He’s already working
The young new mayor is already at work: He told DPA news agency that he found the first day in the new job “overwhelming”. Now he wants to focus on the themes of childcare and communication – and a lively city center, as he promised during the election campaign.
The native Syrian is proud of his city and also a little of himself: “We have made history”, he said the day after his election. That was “not self-evident in conservative rural areas”. He ran as an independent candidate, privately he is a member of the Greens.
At the age of 21, Alshebl had fled his hometown of al-Suwaida in southern Syria to escape the civil war raging there. His escape to Europe had taken him via Lebanon to Turkey and then in a dinghy to the Greek island of Lesbos.
After arriving in Karlsruhe he went to Calw. There he followed a dual training to become an administrative clerk – probably a good preparation for his current position.
For example, the FAZ reported about the young Syrian in the spring (YouTube):
Sources
Other interesting articles:
(t-online/dsc)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
