Syrian refugee drops out of German parliament election after threats

Green party says candidate Tareq Alaows, had massive experiences of racism' since announcing candidacy

A Damascus-born Syrian man running to become the first refugee to enter the German parliament has withdrawn his candidacy, citing personal threats and security concerns.

Tareq Alaows, 31, who fled conscription in Syria and arrived in Germany in 2015, was in January nominated as a Bundestag candidate for the Green party in the district of Oberhausen, in North Rhine-Westphalia.