Since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel, many Muslims in Germany have been exposed to general suspicion. You feel hostility. The problem affects the entire society.
Amira is on the way to daycare to pick up her daughter when a man calls her a “terrorist bitch” and knocks over the stroller. “Several people noticed this up close, but didn’t intervene,” says the 30-year-old from Cologne.
“The attack was frightening, as was the fact that there was no moral courage.” Amira was born and raised in Germany, is a racism researcher, self-confident, and wears a headscarf. Since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th, the climate has become harsh and hostile for many “Muslim-marked” people who are interpreted as Muslim because of their appearance and are therefore treated with hostility. A lawyer (29) who grew up in Berlin says similarly that she is insulted, insulted and no longer feels safe.
The Central Council of Muslims (ZMD) and the Islam association Ditib speak of a general suspicion and complain about attacks on Muslims and mosques. Amira and many of her friends feel this clearly in everyday life. “A racially charged change in society is noticeable,” she describes. Amira is eloquent, is currently writing her doctoral thesis – and over the past few weeks has repeatedly heard from total strangers that she should “learn German first” or stick to “German rules”. She knows of several “Muslim-marked” people who have lost their jobs in recent weeks “because they somehow made sympathetic pro-Palestinian statements.”
What changed for Muslims after October 7th?
Many Muslims have the feeling that the situation following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 in the USA is now being repeated for them, says Yasemin El-Menouar, religion expert at the Bertelsmann Foundation. “Back then too, pressure was built up and Muslims in Germany were asked to take a stand.” In the general population, the view of Muslims is now reflexively directed towards their supposed countries of origin, as if they were their representatives and, so to speak, jointly responsible for events and actions there. “I experience great frustration.” In the current Middle East conflict, she sees a lot of compassion among Muslims in this country and a deep connection with the population on both sides.
ZMD boss Aiman Mazyek reports that children and young people from Muslim communities sometimes feel stigmatized in schools. In individual cases there were “attitude tests” in schools. It asked about the attitude of students with a Muslim background to the Middle East conflict and Hamas. An attempt is being made to sound out the parents’ attitudes – that is unacceptable. And he makes it clear: “Anti-Semitism is a sin in Islam.” 5.5 million Muslims live in Germany, with a particularly large number in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Where do such blanket assumptions come from?
According to El-Menouar, there has long been a great deal of skepticism towards Muslims and their religion. “Islam is seen less as a religion, but rather positioned in the vicinity of Islamism and terror. Muslims are assumed to accept religiously based extremism and terror.” Islamic associations have repeatedly condemned the Hamas terror, have vehemently advocated a safe Jewish life and yet are repeatedly pilloried, criticizes Islamic scholar Jörn Thielmann. “Many Muslims are German citizens, grew up here, went to school and are now supposed to justify themselves for something that they are no more capable of than the Catholic Mr. Müller or the Protestant Ms. Meyer.”
What consequences does this have for society?
Thielmann believes that there is a fear, especially among younger Muslims, that there will be long-term consequences if they feel stigmatized and offended and if they are wrongly labeled as “terrorist understanders or terrorist sympathizers.” Dirk Halm from the Center for Turkish Studies speaks of a social division. This is expressed “in increasingly blatant, rampant anti-Semitism, but also in hostility to Muslims.” Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier recently invited people to a round table to promote peaceful coexistence without anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim sentiment.
Mazyek warns that general suspicion could lead to worrying alienation, especially among younger people. Some could fall into the clutches of extremists. Amira describes that there are “micro-aggressions” against her and many of her acquaintances – exclusionary, derogatory statements or jostling. “We work here, raise our children, help shape society – and yet our belonging is now increasingly being questioned.” And the Berliner says: “I feel like I have to hide a large part of what defines my identity, namely being Palestinian, for fear of negative reactions and consequences.”
A differentiated view is required
El-Menouar knows that there are also radical attitudes and Israel-related anti-Semitism among Muslims. But: “We have anti-Semitism in Germany, which runs across society and is also a problem in the Muslim community. To single out just this group would be wrong and lead to further division.” Some rallies are cleverly exploited by Islamists for their own purposes. Islamist slogans were also heard from Muslims and Hamas attacks were loudly welcomed, adds Thielmann. “The Islamic associations in Germany take a strict stance against this.”
Verbal attacks, aggressiveness, being labeled – that’s what wears you down, says the Palestinian-born Berlin lawyer. Germany is her home, but: “In fact, for the first time I’m seriously thinking about leaving the country and emigrating. And it’s not just me.”