Sawsan Chebli


Sawsan Chebli is a German politician of Palestinian descent.

Early life and education

Chebli was born to Palestinian asylum seekers in Germany and grew up in Berlin's Moabit district. After completing her abitur at Lessing-Gymnasium in Wedding, Berlin in 1999, she studied political science at the Otto Suhr Institute of the Free University of Berlin.

Political career

Chebli joined the Social Democratic Party in 2001. During her time at university, she worked as student research assistant to Gert Weisskirchen. From 2004, she served as chief of staff to Johannes Jung.
Between 2010 and 2014, Chebli was the first spokesperson for intercultural affairs of the Berlin Senator of the Interior and Sport, Ehrhart Körting, in the state government of the Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit. From January 2014, she was deputy spokesperson of the Federal Foreign Office under Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Since December 2016, Chebli has been serving as State Secretary for Federal Affairs in the state government of the Governing Mayor of Berlin Michael Müller. As one of Berlin's representatives in the Bundesrat, she is a member Permanent Advisory Council, which is composed of the sixteen envoys of the federal states.

Political positions

In an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in 2016, Chebli addressed the role of Sharia, saying, "it primarily deals with the personal relationship between God and humans. It addresses things like prayer, fasting and alms. That presents no problems for me as a democrat; it is absolutely compatible , just as it is for Christians, Jews and anyone else." The statement caused controversy after her appointment to a governing position in Berlin.
Chebli has also denounced anti-Islam right wing German populists, telling Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "My father is a pious Muslim, hardly speaks German, can neither read nor write, but he is more integrated than many functionaries of the AfD who question our constitution."

Other activities