First anti-Muslim racism reporting center to open in Germany next spring

Germany is set to establish its first reporting center for anti-Muslim racism in the spring of 2025, Anadolu Agency reported.

Located in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is home to over 1.7 million Muslims, the center, named MEDAR, will focus on documenting and reporting attacks and crimes against Muslims.

The initiative, developed by the state government, will also monitor other forms of racism directed at non-Muslim foreigners. Scheduled to open by March or April 2025, MEDAR is the result of three years of preparation. As the most populous state in Germany, with more than 18 million residents, North Rhine-Westphalia will be the first to create a dedicated center for reporting anti-Muslim incidents.

The region has experienced several attacks on Muslims and their places of worship, including a vandalism incident in January 2022 where numerous Muslim graves in Iserlohn were damaged. Additionally, in April 2022, the state launched the Research and Information Center on Anti-Semitism to document antisemitic incidents in the area.