Germany's biggest-selling newspaper has faced calls to apologise for an editorial comment piece criticising Islam which has sparked debate and controversy in the country.

Nicolaus Fest, the vice editor in chief of the newspaper Bild am Sonntag, was criticised after accusing Islam of a 'murderous contempt for women and homosexuals' in a comment piece yesterday.

Fest described the religion as 'a barrier to integration' saying: 'I don't believe in God, but at the same time Christianity, Judaism or Buddhism don't bother me. Only Islam bothers me more and more.'

Germany's biggest-selling newspaper has faced calls to apologise for an editorial comment piece criticising Islam

The newspaper has now responded to criticism after politicians described the piece as 'racist', The Local has reported.

According to the website, the comment piece had been shared more than 9,700 times on social media by this morning, with critics including Volker Beck, a member of the Green political party, calling for the paper to apologise.

Last night, Bild's editor-in-chief Kai Diekmann wrote an editorial, which was posted online, saying there was an 'unshakeable dividing line between Islam as a world religion and the degrading ideology of Islamism'.

He wrote: 'That's why in Bild and Axel Springer [publications] there is no room for generalized, depreciating comments against Islam and the people who believe in Allah.'

The comment piece was published in the wake of Germany's condemnation of anti-Semitic chants and threats heard at some of the protests against Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

The German government last week reassured Jewish people living in the country that they should feel safe

The comment piece was published in the wake of Germany's condemnation of anti-Semitic chants and threats heard at some of the protests against Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza

Georg Streiter, spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel, told a news conference on Wednesday: 'The chancellor and the government are happy to see the revival of Jewish life in Germany and will continue to campaign for the security of Jewish citizens.'

The German media has expressed shock at the tenor of anti-Israel chants at some of the demonstrations. German anti-racist laws forbid incitement to racial hatred such as anti-Semitic slogans.