Islamophobic crimes in Germany have more than doubled in 2023

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - The number of Islamophobic crimes in Germany has more than doubled last year, media reports said Monday.

In 2023, some 1,464 crimes nationwide were classified as Islamophobic, compared to 610 anti-Muslim hate crimes in the previous year, German Press Agency dpa reported, citing a government reply to an inquiry by Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lawmaker Christoph de Vries.

Meanwhile, police reported 137 Islamophobic crimes in the first quarter of this year.

The dramatic surge in anti-Muslim hate crimes is linked to the escalating Gaza war, according to the report.

The German government had repeatedly expressed concern about the rise in anti-Muslim racism in the country since the start of Israel's attacks on Gaza following attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Any attacks on Muslims in Germany, for religious or other reasons, are "absolutely unacceptable," government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit was quoted as saying.

"The nearly 5 million Muslims in Germany have every right to be protected," he added.

The Berlin-based Alliance Against Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hate had also warned of growing anti-Muslim racism amid the escalating Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza.

"We are witnessing an intensification of anti-Muslim racism in Germany. This is something we should all be concerned about and needs to be taken seriously," said Rima Hanano, the head of the nongovernmental organization.

"We must not allow inhumane positions to be further normalized and thereby jeopardize social cohesion. All people must be protected from racist, antisemitic and other inhumane violence and threats," she added.

With a population of over 84 million people, Germany has the second-largest Muslim population in Western Europe after France. Among the country’s nearly 5.3 million Muslims, more than 3 million are of Turkish origin.