Hawzah News Agency- Two-thirds of Muslims no longer trust politics … it weakens democracy, it weakens social cohesion, Rima Hanano, co-director of CLAIM warns, calling for concrete action against Islamophobia.
German authorities must take anti-Muslim racism more seriously and implement stronger measures to combat the rising number of attacks and discriminatory practices in the country, according to a leading rights group.
“We currently see extremely anti-Muslim sentiments in society. Every second person agrees with anti-Muslim statements'', Rima Hanano, told Anadolu.
Recent surveys show that Muslims are the least accepted minority in Germany, the EU’s largest economy and a country of 84 million people with more than 5 million Muslims. Many Germans were found to be harboring negative stereotypes and prejudices toward Muslims, while media coverage of international conflicts and terrorism has further fueled suspicion of the Muslim community.
According to Hanano, the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and other right-wing movements, along with increasingly inflammatory political rhetoric, has emboldened individuals to become more aggressive and “feel justified” in attacking Muslims.
CLAIM’s annual report revealed an alarming escalation in physical attacks against Muslims last year: two homicides, three attempted murders, and 198 cases of assault.
The organization also documented 122 instances of property damage and over 70 attacks on mosques. Muslim-owned markets and restaurants were frequent targets of threats and violence. Hanano, who has researched anti-Muslim hate crimes for more than a decade, believes the actual number of anti-Muslim incidents is much higher than reported, since many victims do not file reports.
Studies show that Muslims in Germany have been facing increasing discrimination in housing, education, employment, and interactions with government authorities.
“We see that anti-Muslim racism has an effect on those affected, but of course, also on society as a whole. Those affected lose trust – people are afraid, they feel isolated, they feel unheard and unseen'', Hanano said, adding that this leads to people losing trust in democracy, the government, and politics in general.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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