Muslims face structural racism in Germany: Report
Muslims in Germany face racism, hatred and discrimination on a daily basis, according to an independent commission assigned by the German government.
The Independent Group of Experts that worked on hostility towards Muslims for three years provided a comprehensive report on the racism faced by the Muslim population of Germany. The findings were released on Thursday.
"Many of the 5.5 million Muslims in Germany experience marginalization and discrimination in day-to-day life -- up to and including hatred and violence," German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said after receiving the report.
After analyzing the scientific studies, police crime statistics, and documentation of anti-Muslim incidents by different agencies, the report concluded that at least one-third of Muslims in Germany have been victims of racism due to their religious background.
The experts noted that the real numbers are probably higher as only 10 percent of the Muslim population report hostility and hate crimes against them.
According to the report, Muslims in Germany do not only face racism but are also subjected to daily stereotyping ranging from kindergarten to old age.
The 12-member commission cited data showing around every other German agreed with anti-Muslim statements, "providing a dangerous breeding ground" for extremist groups.
Even German-born Muslims were widely seen as "foreign" while Islam was often presented as a "backward religion" and women wearing traditional headscarves faced "particularly dramatic forms of hostility," the experts said.
The report said that the negative prejudice for the community includes “the attribution of widespread, largely unchangeable, backward-thinking and threatening characteristics to Muslims and people perceived as Muslim.”
In an analysis of popular culture, the report found that nearly 90 percent of films the panel watched presented a negative view of Muslims, often associating them with "terror attacks, wars and oppression of women.”
ME
