About a week after she was interviewed by Newsmax, Adeline Abimnwi Awemo, Christian Democratic Union (conservative) candidate for the Landtag (state parliament) in the province of Brandenburg, Germany, was suddenly and physically attacked while campaigning.
Her candidacy had been drawing growing attention because Awemo is one of the handful of candidates in Germany who is an immigrant from Africa who became a naturalized German citizen.
In an incident that made news throughout Europe, Awemo and her family were putting up campaign posters in the town of Cottbus on July 25. Suddenly, she was struck from behind by a female assailant, who reportedly shouted: "You are not humans."
Awemo is originally from Cameroon and has vowed to be a voice for immigrants in Brandenburg, which is located in the former East Germany and will hold elections for its Landtag Sept. 22.
She was treated and released at a local hospital on Thursday evening. The 29-year-old suspect in the assault is under investigation by local police. The attack came about a week after Awemo spoke to Newsmax about her candidacy for the Landtag.
"The reason why I am standing in for elections is because I think it is time for it is time for us to include the foreigners who have integrated in this province of Brandenburg into the parliament so they can assist with the decisions that are made, and as well as for the people of Brandenburg," said Awemo, who emphasized that when she referred to foreigners she meant people from other countries who came to Germany through legal means.
Awemo is a practicing Catholic — unusual for a candidate in the former East Germany, where Protestants vastly outnumber Catholics. She attended Catholic schools from primary school to college and spoke of the late Pope Benedict XVI as a personal hero. Her constituency also includes many non-Christians.
"In my town, we have the possibility for two candidates from my party, which means we have two constituencies in this city," she told us, explaining how the local elections work in Germany. "It's a city of about 100,000 people. We have 44 constituencies, and I am in the 44th. My constituency has about ... 49,000 people, and it works like this: You are either directly elected as a candidate who wins in your constituency, or you're elected according to the list [provided by one's party]."
Experts say if Awemo gets at least 20% on the provincial list, then she gets into the state parliament. Polls now show the most popular party in Brandenburg is the CDU. Given her status as an immigrant, Awemo fully realizes she draws special attention seeking office as a person of color.
"I don't look at the color," she told Newsmax. "I actually really want to see to it that there is equality and every possible group is represented.
"I think that now we need somebody who is from another country to join the parliament so that they the issues concerning people who want to integrate, the issues concerning families, the issues concerning education."
Awemo said her top priority if elected will be education. While she does not feel that college is necessary for everyone, she does believe students should at least be required to go from kindergarten to secondary school.
It is also important for students to have a good upbringing at home, she said, as education and upbringing are two different things. In her eyes, "families, including parents as well as grandparents, need to take responsibility for that."
"I am more into basic education from kindergarten right onto secondary level, because it's kind of something we're facing in Germany, where you have a lot of discrepancies and a lot of disappointment from families about schools and the school system. You see, the system is not the way it was when I came to Germany about 20 years ago."
Awemo said that taking care of the environment is also important, but that it has to be done in a way that does not destroy people's lives or the economy. As for her top priority for fellow immigrants to Germany, she said without hesitation, "It is to learn the German language. When someone knows the language, they know what their child is learning in school."
Asked what she wants her legacy to be, Awemo replied without hesitation she wants children to feel joy about going to school. "I want people to think of me as prioritizing family," she told us. I want others to believe that no matter how hard something may seem, you can be successful at it."
Mary Barnes, rising senior at Southern Methodist University in Texas and a summer intern in the Washington, D.C., bureau of Newsmax, assisted with this article.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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