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Anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic attitudes are widespread

2022-10-05T15:08:59.808Z


Numerous anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim crimes were committed in Germany in the past year. According to a study by the Advisory Council on Integration and Migration, hostile attitudes run deep.


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Passers-by in headscarves in front of Cologne Cathedral

Photo: Christoph Hardt / Panama Pictures / IMAGO

Anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic attitudes are still widespread in Germany.

This emerges from a study published on Wednesday by the Advisory Council (SVR) for integration and migration.

Affected groups differ according to their origin as well as personal experiences of discrimination.

"For a diverse society, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic attitudes are a major problem," said Jan Schneider, head of the SVR's scientific staff.

"They endanger social cohesion and, in the worst case, lead to violence." Schneider referred to the high number of registered Islamophobic and anti-Semitic crimes in Germany.

This underscores the need for action.

Anyone who knows people from other backgrounds has less resentment

However, according to the study, people with a migration background who went to school in Germany are less likely to have anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim attitudes than those who went to school in another country.

"Resentment is also much less common among people who have regular contact with people from other backgrounds," says co-author Nora Storz.

Likewise, respondents with and without a migration background who have people with other origins in their circle of friends or acquaintances expressed anti-Muslim comments less often than others.

According to the SVR, resentment towards Muslims has decreased overall in Germany over the past ten years, but it is still evident.

The skepticism towards Islam as a religious community in itself is even greater.

"This applies above all to people with a migration background who do not themselves belong to the Muslim faith," said Storz.

"Only just under 43 percent of them say that Islam fits into German society." In contrast, more than half of the respondents without a migration background agree with this statement.

According to the study, people with a migration background also adopt anti-Semitic attitudes more often than people without this background.

»After evaluating the data, we assume that anti-Semitic attitudes among Muslims of Turkish origin are partly based on religious and theological reasons.

The attitude of immigrants of Arabic origin, on the other hand, is more due to the political and social narrative in their country of origin,” explained co-author Nils Friedrichs.

Those who are themselves discriminated against are more likely to have anti-Semitic attitudes

In the case of the second group, "the Middle East conflict plays a not insignificant role," according to Friedrichs.

In addition, »people with a migration background who feel discriminated against because of their origin tend to have anti-Semitic attitudes more often than people who have not experienced such discrimination«.

He emphasized that these findings are important for the necessary prevention work.

"In order to be able to break down prejudices against others, contact between people of different origins and religions is particularly important," said Schneider.

"The intercultural and interreligious exchange should therefore be promoted primarily with the help of low-threshold offers, for example at the municipal level, especially among young people," he said.

Religious communities could also make important contributions.

The Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination, Ferda Ataman, called the high level of agreement with classic anti-Semitic attitudes among respondents of Turkish origin "particularly worrying".

It is also very worrying that "about a third of those surveyed across all groups are of the opinion that religious freedom for Muslims must be restricted".

"We must counter such attitudes," Ataman said.

mfh/AFP

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-10-05

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