Over 40% of Muslim men in Germany report about daily racism: Study
More than 40% of Muslim men are experiencing racism in everyday life in Germany, according to a study released on Tuesday.
According to the report published by the German Center for Integration and Migration Research (Dezim) in Berlin, some 41.2% of Muslim men are affected by racism.
Muslims often experience discrimination as well in public offices and dealing with authorities, including the police.
More than a third of Muslim men (39%) reported more frequent experiences of discrimination and racism in the police, while 51% referred to negative experiences in public offices and talking to authorities.
Among Muslim women, 46% said that they had often experienced discrimination in offices and authorities. When it comes to contact with the police, the corresponding proportion was 25%.
Furthermore, Germany’s health care system is not free from discrimination either.
"Discrimination takes place here in different places. For example, people who are racially marked are given worse appointments, and their suffering is less heard," said the director of the Dezim Institute, Frank Kalter.
On Monday, the centre-left government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed concern over mounting anti-Muslim racism in the country since the start of the Gaza war on Oct. 7.
Any attacks on Muslims in Germany, for religious or other reasons, are "absolutely unacceptable," government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said at a news conference in Berlin.
"The nearly 5 million Muslims in Germany have every right to be protected," he added.
The Berlin-based Alliance Against Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hate (CLAIM) warned last week of growing anti-Muslim racism amid the escalating Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza.
"We are witnessing an intensification of anti-Muslim racism in Germany. This is something we should all be concerned about and needs to be taken seriously," said Rima Hanano, head of the nongovernmental organisation.
"We must not allow inhumane positions to be further normalised and thereby jeopardise social cohesion. All people must be protected from racist, antisemitic, and other inhumane violence and threats," she added.
CLAIM has documented 53 cases of anti-Muslim threats, violence, and discrimination in the last two-and-a-half weeks alone, including 10 attacks on mosques.
It can be assumed that there are a serious number of unreported anti-Muslim incidents that have not yet been reported or recorded; for example, this also applies to anti-Muslim hate speech on social networks.
CLAIM called for far-reaching measures to combat anti-Muslim racism and to protect those affected.
"Combating anti-Muslim racism, antisemitism, and other misanthropic ideologies is more crucial than ever for our democracy and the cohesion of society. The need for action is acute," according to the NGO.
Follow-ups: International Media Centre