A new report commissioned by the interior ministry in Berlin has revealed that one-third of Muslims in Germany face discrimination, hatred and sometimes violence on a daily basis. According to the Independent Group of Experts on Muslim Hostility (UEM), only 10 percent of Muslims actually report such incidents. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that “Muslim life belongs to Germany as a matter of course” and urged for further awareness of the widespread resentment that Muslims face. The report suggested that German-born Muslims are viewed as “foreign” and Islam is seen as a “backward religion”.

Furthermore, the panel found that in popular culture, almost 90 percent of films they watched presented a negative view of Muslims. Former Interior Minister Horst Seehofer launched the commission in 2020 after a far-right German killed 10 people and wounded five others in an anti-Muslim shooting spree in Hanau. Saba-Nur Cheema, one of the 12 experts on the panel said the report also revealed details about prejudice towards Muslims that she called “anonymous and subtle.” She added that there is “structural discrimination” in the country, where Muslims are excluded from employment and housing.

The commission recommended the government create a task force to address bias against Muslims, a central clearinghouse to collect complaints and training for daycare centres, schools, police stations, government offices, media outlets and entertainment companies. They also suggested revising textbooks and lesson plans to counter the negative image of Muslims in Germany. Germany’s Muslim community is mainly comprised of those with Turkish roots, as well as those who have emigrated from Arabic countries such as Morocco or Lebanon.

Many first came to Germany more than 60 years ago when they were recruited as “guest workers” to help advance the country economically. The findings of the UEM report have shone a light on the discrimination faced by Muslims in Germany and emphasised the need for further action to be taken. It is essential that the government implements the recommendations made by the commission to ensure that Muslims can live free from fear, hatred and prejudice.