Report reveals alarming levels of anti-Muslim hatred in Germany and beyond

According to a report prepared by the 'Independent Group of Experts on Anti-Muslim Hatred' and published by the German Ministry of the Interior in June, one-third of the 5.5 million Muslims in Germany are subject to attacks due to their religion. The report indicates that the Muslim population in Germany ranks among the religious minorities most exposed to racial discrimination and hate speech. Hamdi emphasized that the increasing 'Islamophobia' in Europe manifests itself in various ways, stating that Muslims face difficulties in finding homes and jobs due to their names, appearance, or origins. He also mentioned that veiled women are targeted by racism through derogatory remarks, pressure, and harassment. He pointed out that the rise of far-right parties adopting a hostile approach towards Muslims in most European countries has led to a surge in racism to higher levels than before. This approach has been embraced by various political and social organizations in Europe. Referring to Geert Wilders, the leader of the Freedom Party (PVV) in the Netherlands, Hamdi mentioned that Muslims in the Netherlands are frequently ridiculed by Wilders and his party. He stated that Wilders uses social media to incite his followers against Muslims and organizes contests with insulting caricatures of Prophet Muhammad to provoke them. Hamdi also mentioned that Wilders escalated his attacks on Dutch Muslims by planning to hold a contest featuring derogatory caricatures of Prophet Muhammad, but the plan was eventually abandoned to ensure the safety of party members. Hamdi pointed out: 'A considerable portion of Muslims in the countries they reside have obtained citizenship rights, but hate speech has reached record levels, deepening the rift between Europeans based on race and religion. This dangerous development poses a threat to coexistence in European countries.' He pointed out that the Ukrainian war has exposed racism towards European Muslims, which can be seen in the way the European media perceives Ukrainian refugees. Hamdi stated: 'Unfortunately, Ukrainian refugees were deemed completely different from refugees coming from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Middle Eastern countries, solely because they were European. European leaders' statements also contributed to the development of hate speech against Muslims. Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov made a statement saying, 'Ukrainian refugees are not the type of refugees we are used to; they are European, cultured, and educated.' The Telegraph newspaper subtly attacked refugees from the Middle East by stating that Ukrainian refugees are civilized, have Instagram accounts, and participate in elections.'