Islamophobic incidents increased at Berlin schools, German rights-group says

By Erbil Basay

BERLIN (AA) - There has been a rise in Islamophobic incidents at German schools because of the far-right’s anti-Muslim narratives, and the recent developments in the Middle East, a Berlin-based rights group has warned.

The ADAS anti-discrimination center has received more and more complaints in recent months from students, as well as their parents over Islamophobic acts, insults, and verbal harassment, its director Aliyeh Yegane Arani told Anadolu.

“More than half of the complaints we have received are about incidents of anti-Muslim racism. Considering that Muslims constitute 6 to 8 percent of the population in Germany, this is a rather high rate,” she said.

The Berlin-based ADAS is providing counseling and support to pupils, parents, teachers, and school staff who have experienced or witnessed discrimination.

Arani said the vast majority of complaints they receive are incidents of racism towards Black people, and anti-Muslim hate crimes and discrimination. She said Islamophobia is impacting not only Muslim students, but anyone perceived to be Muslim.

“About 20% of cases are explicitly about anti-Muslim racism. These incidents involve some teachers using Islamophobic expressions, or girls, women being discriminated against because of their headscarves, mobbing against Muslim students” Arani said.

She pointed out that there are also other forms of anti-Muslim racism that affect people who are perceived to be Muslim because of their name, appearance or origin, but who are not religious at all, perhaps not even Muslim. Arani said these account for around 40% of the complaints they have received.

According to the estimates of the ADAS, the actual figures on the Islamophobic incidents at schools could be much higher, as many students and parents do not report these to authorities or anti-discrimination centers.

"There are many cases that go unreported. Only very few people apply and report such incidents, many of the cases at schools are not reported or addressed,” Arani said.

She pointed out that anti-Muslim hate propaganda of the far-right groups, racist narratives about immigrants were among the reasons for the sharp rise in Islamophobic cases in recent years. She also noted that there has been a rise in reported incidents after the Israel–Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023.

“After October 7, we are receiving an increasing number of applications, especially regarding the war in Gaza. For example, some students have reported that they were forced to make statements, to express their positions, or to express what they think about the conflict against their will. There has been a ban on wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh scarves in schools,” she said.

With a population of over 84 million people, Germany has the second-largest Muslim population in Western Europe after France. It is home to more than 5 million Muslims, according to official figures.

The country faced growing racism and xenophobia in recent years, fueled by the propaganda of far-right, and anti-Muslim groups, including the opposition party Alternative for Germany, or the AfD.

Last year, German authorities recorded at least 686 Islamophobic crimes, including verbal and physical assaults against Muslims on the streets, threatening letters sent to Islamic institutions, and arson attacks that targeted mosques.