Islamophobia is a serious problem in Germany and its solution requires the active participation of broad sectors of society, according to renowned expert, Matthias Rohe, co-author of one of the most comprehensive reports on Islamophobia in Germany.
According to a study by independent experts published in June, anti-Muslim sentiment is not a marginalised phenomenon but is widespread among a large part of the German population. Approximately every second person in Germany agree with anti-Muslim statements.
Professor Rohe from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg noted that negative stereotypes and misconceptions about Muslims were still widespread, even though millions of Muslims had been living in Germany for many years and had become an integral part of society.
He said many Germans believed in stereotypes, such as that Muslim values were completely different or that they could not bring about any positive change. Rohe said:
On the contrary, we have so much in common, and every person in this country has the right to live freely in their religion, and to pursue their own values as long as it fits within the framework of our legal system. And the vast majority of Muslims support this, and they don’t deserve such discriminatory attitudes.
According to the report, every third person from a Muslim country of origin faces discrimination in Germany several times a month. At the same time, Muslim women who wear the headscarf are more likely than others to report worse treatment in everyday life.
According to Rohe, the way the media cover current international conflicts and their negative portrayal of Islam and Muslims has a great impact on public perception. He said:
We already have a strong tendency in the German media to report on the Muslim population in a problem-oriented way, even more so on television than in the newspapers. There are very few reports in the media when Muslims become victims of attacks, when their places of worship are attacked. In reality, Muslims are more often the victims of attacks, but the media reports more often incidents where Muslim individuals are perpetrators.
Germany, a country of more than 84 million people, has the second largest Muslim population in Western Europe after France. According to official figures, more than 5 million Muslims live in the country.
In recent years, Germany has witnessed a sharp rise in anti-Muslim racism and violence fuelled by the propaganda of far-right political parties and movements. In the first half of 2023, police recorded 258 Islamophobic crimes, including attacks on mosques, cases of bodily harm and threatening letters.
Berlin-based human rights group CLAIM has warned that there has been an increase in Islamophobic crimes since the escalation of the conflict in Gaza. The group has recorded 53 cases of threats, violence and discrimination against Muslims in recent weeks, including 10 attacks on mosques.
