No or insufficient demarcation from Hamas? After the terrorist attack on Israel, some Muslims in Germany feel exposed to general suspicion.
It is not easy to find German Muslims who want to talk about the current war in the Middle East and the debate about it in Germany. Many report fear and worry, of being caught in the crossfire after making public statements. Not because they do not sufficiently and adequately distance themselves from Hamas terrorists and the atrocities of October 7th, but because they fear that their statements will be taken out of context, that they will be condemned for having too much empathy for people killed in Gaza.
Many interviewees say after an initial commitment. But three want to report on their thoughts. They are all active in integration and anti-racism work and only want to speak from this role, not as purely private individuals.
They all report similar things: They describe what it’s like to constantly have to justify yourself.
“Fear of saying something wrong”
Ataman Yildirim feels this pressure. He works for a wealth association. Yildirim has Turkish roots and says that many people want to know what he thinks about the topic and how he feels about it. “And these are questions that I haven’t had to answer yet,” he reports:
I grew up here, I feel like I’m German, I’ve always felt like I belong there. But through these questions I have the feeling that other people label me differently – as someone from the outside who has to explain themselves again.
Mimoun Berrissoun also reports on this pressure. He is regularly in contact with young Muslims and young Germans with a migration history in Arabic-speaking countries. Berrissoun leads the “180 Degree Turnaround” initiative. Founded in Cologne, it offers meeting opportunities, seminars and discussion groups for young people who are looking for their place in society.
“Fear is a very important keyword right now,” he explains. “Some people are afraid of saying the wrong thing. They are also afraid that they will speak up about the conflict and then their words will be twisted in their mouths or misinterpreted.”
Almost every day, Berrissoun and his team meet young Muslims who are becoming more and more overwhelmed by this feeling: “During counseling work, I spoke to a young girl who has a family in the Gaza Strip. She was in tears and told me also said that their suffering was not discussed.” Just one of many anecdotes that social worker Berrisoun can report. “And this girl is a person who clearly shows compassion for Jewish victims on the Israeli side.”
However, these people do not dare to express their compassion for the people of Gaza because they fear that they would then be put in a corner. That it is not clear that despite their compassion they detest Hamas terror.
Dwindling trust in Media landscape
For some people, this is causing a massive loss of trust in the social debate and also in the German media landscape, says Berrissoun. Many then searched for the answers even more on social media platforms such as TikTok. And that is a problem, explains Berrissoun. “These young people who are following this war live via TikTok and the like. They see a lot of terrible things there. These young people are left alone and find no space where they can express their feelings.”
However, many influencers on social media channels often provide false information or even propaganda. And yet it is important not to directly condemn the young people who have their supposed information, but rather to first educate them and classify a lot of things. Berrissoun would therefore like to see greater coexistence in our society: “What I find really bad about the debate is that a you-and-us narrative is used and we are unable to speak as a common we.”
Thoughts of withdrawal
More and more Muslims are also reporting their fears and concerns to Karima Benbrahim. She is head of the specialist and documentation center for anti-racism in North Rhine-Westphalia. “Children are asked at school how they feel about Hamas,” she reports. “At work, an attitude test is required to determine how one feels about Israel or about the conflict in particular and, above all, about anti-Semitism. And that is something that is worrying.”
Above all, it is the idea of feeling like you are under general suspicion as a Muslim or even just someone who reads as Muslim. This prompts some people to think about personal consequences. “In the calls I’ve been making since October 7th, many Muslims say that they want to emigrate, that they have thoughts of withdrawal, that they feel powerless, not seen. And therefore no longer part of this society.” That Benbrahim emphasizes that this is a development that we need to counteract: “These are German Muslims.”
Ataman Yildirim would not think about leaving Germany, but he would like to see less generalization and less pressure to justify things. “I say I distance myself from terror and hate. But on the other hand, there is a lack of discourse on a holistic level.” And then he gives a striking example: “If we had right-wing extremist attacks in Düsseldorf, no politician would say: All Germans in Düsseldorf must distance themselves.”