Human Rights Watch blasts Germany for failing to protect Muslims

World

Published: 2024-05-01 16:41

Last Updated: 2024-05-17 02:14


Islamophobic signs in Germany
Islamophobic signs in Germany

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday accused the German government of failing to protect Muslims amid a rise in hate crimes and discrimination, according to government data.

In the first nine months of last year, incidents of Islamophobic crimes increased to 686, up from 610 for the entire year of 2022.

According to Alhurra - Washington, the German government has not yet provided data for the period since the onset of the war on Gaza on October 7 last year.

HRW warned of an increase in anti-Muslim incidents since the war began.

The organization emphasized that violence against Muslims is not a new phenomenon in Germany, noting that in 2017, one in ten people reported an anti-Muslim incident.

Reem Hanano, head of the Coalition Against Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hatred "KLEM," a German network of NGOs, said, "2023 has seen a frightening new rise in anti-Muslim incidents."

In November, the coalition documented an average of three anti-Muslim incidents per day. Furthermore, a man perceived as Muslim was called a "terrorist" as he exited a public bus, then assaulted, and hospitalized due to his injuries.

HRW stated, "While civil society organizations collect data on such incidents, the German government has yet to develop a nationwide infrastructure for monitoring and data collection, based on clear indicators that would provide authorities with the knowledge and tools needed to address the issue."