Germany from Xenophobia to Islamophobia
Giving a freaking image of Islamophobic Germany, a new study has warned that decades-long xenophobic German society is shifting its attention to religious bias against Muslims, appearing in far-right, leftist and even centrist parties.
“It's no longer 'the Turks' but 'the Muslims',” Wilhelm Heitmeyer, head of the institute for research of interdisciplinary conflict and violence at Bielefeld University told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, The Local reported.
The research, performed at Bielefeld University, warned that Islamophobia in Germany is becoming culturally acceptable.
Heitmeyer added that general xenophobia had given way to a growing rejection of Islam in Germany.
This bigotry, moving from the confines of ethnicity towards religious bias against Muslims, does not exist only in the far-right.
Heitmeyer said the sentiment was also present in more left-leaning and centrist circles, appearing throughout the country, from the highest echelons of society to the lowest.
The findings of his research are not new.
An earlier study from Münster University in 2010 found that 66 percent of western Germans and 74 percent of eastern Germans had a negative attitude towards Muslims.
A more recent study from the Allensbach Institute suggested that this had not changed over the past two years.
Asking German people about Islam, only 22 percent said they agreed with Germany's ex-President Christian Wulff's statement that Islam, like Christianity, was a part of Germany.
Germany has between 3.8 and 4.3 million Muslims, making up some 5 percent of the total 82 million population, according to government-commissioned studies.
While discriminating against an entire ethnicity was a taboo, neo-Nazi experts warned that the rising anti-Muslim bias was generally acceptable in the German society as freedom of opinion.
“Criticism of Islam or Muslims appear acceptable, because it is not seen as classically racist,” Alexander Häusler, neo-Nazi expert from Düsseldorf's technical university, said.
German Muslims have also voiced concern about growing anti Muslim sentiment.
Head of the Central Council for Muslims in Germany Aiman Mazyek said that police and intelligence officials still refused to rank violent attacks towards Muslims independently, but grouped it within the broad category of xenophobia.
“By doing this, hostility against Islam is being blurred out,” said Mazyek, urging the government to publish a yearly racism report.
The Western European country is gripped by a fierce debate on immigration and integration.
Earlier in May 2012, Germany’s new President Joachim Gauck has sparked a storm of criticism by contradicting his predecessor’s view that Islam is part of Germany
Last October 2010, German President Christian Wulff said that Islam is part and parcel of German society alongside the traditional faiths of Christianity and Judaism.
The controversy was spurred in 2009 by central banker Thilo Sarrazin, who accused Muslim immigrants of undermining the society which is becoming less intelligent because of them.
Chancellor Merkel weighed in, saying that multiculturalism has failed in Germany.
But the remarks have drawn angry reactions, with German president Christian Wulff stressing that Islam is part and parcel of German society.
German politicians have also called for recognizing Islam as an official religion in the Christian-majority country.
Source: OnIslam.net
The research, performed at Bielefeld University, warned that Islamophobia in Germany is becoming culturally acceptable.
Heitmeyer added that general xenophobia had given way to a growing rejection of Islam in Germany.
This bigotry, moving from the confines of ethnicity towards religious bias against Muslims, does not exist only in the far-right.
Heitmeyer said the sentiment was also present in more left-leaning and centrist circles, appearing throughout the country, from the highest echelons of society to the lowest.
The findings of his research are not new.
An earlier study from Münster University in 2010 found that 66 percent of western Germans and 74 percent of eastern Germans had a negative attitude towards Muslims.
A more recent study from the Allensbach Institute suggested that this had not changed over the past two years.
Asking German people about Islam, only 22 percent said they agreed with Germany's ex-President Christian Wulff's statement that Islam, like Christianity, was a part of Germany.
Germany has between 3.8 and 4.3 million Muslims, making up some 5 percent of the total 82 million population, according to government-commissioned studies.
While discriminating against an entire ethnicity was a taboo, neo-Nazi experts warned that the rising anti-Muslim bias was generally acceptable in the German society as freedom of opinion.
“Criticism of Islam or Muslims appear acceptable, because it is not seen as classically racist,” Alexander Häusler, neo-Nazi expert from Düsseldorf's technical university, said.
German Muslims have also voiced concern about growing anti Muslim sentiment.
Head of the Central Council for Muslims in Germany Aiman Mazyek said that police and intelligence officials still refused to rank violent attacks towards Muslims independently, but grouped it within the broad category of xenophobia.
“By doing this, hostility against Islam is being blurred out,” said Mazyek, urging the government to publish a yearly racism report.
The Western European country is gripped by a fierce debate on immigration and integration.
Earlier in May 2012, Germany’s new President Joachim Gauck has sparked a storm of criticism by contradicting his predecessor’s view that Islam is part of Germany
Last October 2010, German President Christian Wulff said that Islam is part and parcel of German society alongside the traditional faiths of Christianity and Judaism.
The controversy was spurred in 2009 by central banker Thilo Sarrazin, who accused Muslim immigrants of undermining the society which is becoming less intelligent because of them.
Chancellor Merkel weighed in, saying that multiculturalism has failed in Germany.
But the remarks have drawn angry reactions, with German president Christian Wulff stressing that Islam is part and parcel of German society.
German politicians have also called for recognizing Islam as an official religion in the Christian-majority country.
Source: OnIslam.net
