Top German rights institute warns of rising anti-Muslim racism

Germany's leading human rights organisation has warned of increasing anti-Muslim racism amid heightened Middle East tensions, urging politicians and media to avoid harmful generalisations.

The German Institute for Human Rights (DIMR) released on Monday a 32-page report examining the Gaza conflict's impact on democracy and human rights, focusing primarily on rising antisemitism but also concerns over increased anti-Muslim incidents.

DIMR Director Beate Rudolf pointed out that overgeneralisations and negative stereotypes about Muslims in political discourse and media coverage following the Palestinian group Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack have had a negative impact on basic rights and freedoms.

"Anyone who criticises the Israeli government is not automatically acting antisemitic. Anyone who advocates for a separate state for the Palestinians is not automatically a Hamas sympathiser. Generalisations only promote antisemitism, as well as racism against Palestinians and Muslims," she told a press conference in Berlin.

The report showed that antisemitic incidents in Germany have surged since Oct. 7, 2023, with hate crimes doubling to 5,164 cases in 2023, compared with the previous year.

More than half of these offences occurred in the final quarter. The first half of 2024 saw 1,997 antisemitic crimes reported to police.

Preventive measures

DIMR called for stronger civic engagement to counter antisemitism in Germany, expanding preventive measures such as awareness-raising programs in educational institutions and providing support for projects that combat misinformation and conspiracy theories.

The institute also cautioned authorities against making overgeneralisations and spreading negative stereotypes about Muslims, emphasising that restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly should only be implemented in exceptional situations as permitted by law.

"The bans on demonstrations described as 'pro-Palestinian' in the months after October 7, 2023 made it difficult for people, especially people with a Palestinian family history, to publicly express their grief for the many civilian victims in Gaza and their solidarity with the civilian population there and to demand an end to the war, and an independent Palestinian state," the report said.

DIMR experts pointed out that German media and politicians often overlooked the fact that Israeli Jews also attended some of these protests, advocating for the rights and concerns of both sides.

"The term 'pro-Palestinian' used in the bans and taken up by politicians and the media promoted a blanket equation of Palestinians with antisemitic, pro-violence Hamas supporters. This public perception and the focus of social debates on violent demonstrations strengthened existing racism against Palestinians and people who are perceived as Arab or Muslim," the experts have noted.