Leading rights group warned on Monday that racism and discrimination against Germany’s Muslim community are becoming more prevalent.
Guzin Ceylan of the Alliance Against Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hate (CLAIM) stated during a news conference in Berlin, “We are seeing an alarming increase in anti-Muslim attacks and discrimination.”
She claimed, “We have documented at least 1,926 anti-Muslim incidents in 2023, which equates to more than five incidents every day,” and that the number of racist incidents had surged by over 114% in comparison to the year before.
Numerous verbal and physical attacks on Muslims, 178 physical assaults, four attempted murders, five arson attacks, and 93 incidences of vandalism and property damage were among the reported events.
Ceylan claimed that since the Israel-Palestine conflict escalated in October 2023, there has been a notable rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes in Germany.
Ceylan stated that between October and December, they recorded at least 679 anti-Muslim occurrences, but she pointed out that the actual number may be much higher because many victims choose not to report these incidents to the police as crimes.
“We presume that numerous cases remain unreported, as numerous victims have lost trust in establishments as a result of the continuous political discussions and media discourse,” Ceylan stated, alluding to the skewed reporting of current events in the media and harsh stereotypes directed at Muslims.
Germany, a nation of more than 84 million people, is home to the second-largest Muslim community in Western Europe, behind France. Official data indicate that there are approximately 5 million Muslims living there.
(Source: AA)
