Alarming Underreporting of Islamophobic Attacks in Germany

A concerning new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) has revealed that 9 out of 10 Muslim victims of Islamophobic attacks in Germany do not report the incidents to police, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

According to HRW researcher Almaz Teffera, many Muslims believe the authorities will not take their complaints seriously. “Research on anti-Muslim discrimination shows that nine out 10 survey respondents have not reported the most recent anti-Muslim racism. Why is that? How can you trust authorities that don’t understand or acknowledge anti-Muslim racism to help you in a situation where you have been attacked based on your identity?”

The report found that hostility towards Muslims is widespread across German society, including in schools, where Muslim students face anti-Muslim sentiment. Teffera stressed that “German authorities have not officially recognized anti-Muslim racism as a form of racism” and tend to treat attacks on Muslims as “anti-Islamic motivated crime” rather than racism.

The rising popularity of far-right parties in Germany has also contributed to an increase in attacks on immigrant and ethnic minority communities, the report found.

“Germany adopted an action plan against racism and a strategy against antisemitism. It is important that the government connects these efforts to ensure mutual understanding and learning as well as solidarity among the affected communities,” Teffera said.

According to official figures, approximately five million Muslims reside in Germany.