From Refugee to Mayor: The Inspiring Story of a Syrian in Germany.

Ryyan Alshebl, a Syrian refugee who arrived in Germany eight years ago without knowing a word of German, has been elected as the mayor of Ostelsheim, a small town in the southwest. Alshebl, who beat two other independent candidates with 55.4% of the vote, is thought to be the first Syrian refugee to reach elected office in Germany. His victory has been hailed as a victory for diversity in a country that struggles with small, but regular neo-Nazi gatherings as well as a surge in popularity of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and other far-right political groups.