Germany: the worrying rise of anti-Muslim racism, warns the German Institute for Human Rights

More than five attacks per day. The findings drawn up on Monday by the German Institute for Human Rights (DIMR) are clear. In one year, anti-Muslim acts have more than doubled in the country, going from 898 to 1,926 recorded incidents.

“These figures are only the tip of the iceberg,” worries Beate Rudolf. In the Berlin premises of the DIMR, the director of the institute unveils a 32-page report which points out media and political abuses. “By dint of hasty generalizations, we feed prejudices,” she laments. The document highlights another phenomenon: since October 2023 and the situation in Gaza, many peaceful demonstrations have been banned under the pretext of being “pro-Palestinian”. Censorship which, according to the report, “stifles legitimate voices”, including those of Israeli Jews participating in these gatherings.

This rise in tensions is not unique to Germany. In Vienna, the European Agency for Fundamental Rights is also sounding the alarm: almost one in two Muslims say they have suffered discrimination in Europe over the past five years. “Being Muslim in the EU is becoming more and more difficult,” confirms Nicole Romain, spokesperson for the agency. Faced with this spiral, the DIMR calls for strengthening educational programs and the fight against disinformation. A major challenge for Germany, where religious diversity comes up against stubborn prejudices.

This outbreak of anti-Muslim acts reveals the fragilities of the German integration model. Beyond the numbers, an entire social balance is wavering. Germany, which has nearly 5 million Muslims, is faced with a paradox: while its economy depends largely on immigration, identity tensions are exacerbated. The restriction of freedom of expression, particularly around the genocide in Gaza, risks fueling an already palpable feeling of exclusion. Between the rise of the far right and geopolitical tensions, Merkel’s country, once the champion of multiculturalism, is struggling to maintain its tradition of openness.