Berlin Sees Surge in Anti-Muslim Attacks, Targeting Women, Children
(MENAFN) Incidents of anti-Muslim violence and discrimination in Berlin have nearly doubled in 2024, escalating to a troubling total of 644 cases, a new monitoring report revealed Wednesday.
Rima Hanano, co-director of the rights organization CLAIM, stated during a Berlin press conference, "The new annual report paints an alarming picture for our city," urging authorities to intensify efforts to combat the rise of anti-Muslim racism.
“We documented 644 anti-Muslim attacks and discrimination cases in 2024, marking an increase of nearly 70% compared to the previous year. This means almost two anti-Muslim incidents every day here in Berlin,” Hanano stressed.
The report highlights that women were disproportionately targeted, making up nearly 64% of cases where the victim’s gender was known. Hanano noted that many victims were accompanied by their children at the time, amplifying the impact of these attacks.
Discrimination primarily occurred in schools, housing, and workplaces, which constituted the largest share of documented incidents, closely followed by verbal assaults. Hanano warned that these figures likely underestimate the full scope of the problem, as many cases go unreported.
The surge in anti-Muslim racism correlates strongly with escalating conflicts in the Middle East and spiked further after terrorist attacks in Germany. Politicians and media narratives often cast Muslims as security threats, fueling widespread suspicion and bias.
“Muslims were repeatedly placed under general suspicion and portrayed as a security problem,” Hanano said. “Some people feel encouraged and legitimized by such debates and discourse.
And what's really disturbing is that even children and youth are being attacked on the streets, both verbally and physically.”
Germany is home to Western Europe’s second-largest Muslim population after France, with nearly 5.5 million Muslims among its 84 million residents. In recent years, the country has witnessed a rise in anti-Muslim racism and violence, propelled by far-right political factions and parties like the opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
