Germany’s “marriage for all” bill was passed last Friday with 393-226 votes and four abstentions.
Surprising conscience vote results show all six Muslim MPs voted in favour of it. Chancellor Angela Merkel, known for her liberal views, voted against it.
Four of the six Muslim MPs are with the Green Party, one is with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and one with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
The reform gives the same marital rights to homosexual couples as to heterosexual couples and allows them to adopt children.
“For me and the basic [German] law, it’s about the marriage of a woman and a man. That’s why I voted against it,” Merkel, whose father was a Lutheran pastor said. She said she is in favour of same-sex couples adopting children, however.
Merkel has long sided with the right of her party on this topic. She leads the CDU and has always made the CDUs party line opposition to same-sex marriage clear. Until last week refused a “majority vote” to decide the matter.
Pressure from the Social Democratic Party forced her to change her strategy and on Monday last week she said she would allow members to vote according to their consciences.
The subsequent debate was emotional for many in parliament, including herself, she added.
“I hope that the vote today shows not only the mutual respect for different opinions but that this also leads to more peace and social cohesion as well,” she said.
The bill is likely to pass through the Bundesrat — Germany’s upper house — next week. The Bundesrat has previously approved legalizing same-sex marriage.
Germany is the 15th European country to legalise same-sex marriage.
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