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Islamophobia in Germany and Europe
European Muslims face increased online and physical attacks
Muslims in Europe regularly experience threats, witness attacks and are the target of hate across national borders. Now the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights organisation, is to examine the problem and make recommendations to policymakers on how they can better tackle Islamophobia. By Christoph Strack
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Germany: Right-wing criminality at a record high
Violent and racist crimes are on the up in Germany, according to official statistics on politically motivated crimes. Crimes by right-wing extremists hit their highest levels since records began in 2001.
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Burka bans in Europe
Why the burka is so important for right-wing populists
On 7 March, Switzerland became the latest European country to vote in favour of a so-called "burka" ban. It was yet another feather in the cap of the right-wing populist Swiss People's Party (SVP) on an issue that remains a perennial favourite with the Right across Europe. Essay by Daniel Bax
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Islamisation, a racist conspiracy theory
The hatred of Hanau and its enablers
The Hanau terror attack showed just how dangerous racist conspiracy theories can be. And yet it is a threat that continues to be underestimated. Commentary by Daniel Bax
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Podcast on the Hanau terrorist attack one year on
"From 1990 to 2020 Germany's far right killed about 200 people"
On 19 February 2020, a right-wing terrorist murdered nine people in the German city of Hanau: Gokhan Gultekin, Sedat Gurbuz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtovic, Vili Viorel Paun, Fatih Saracoglu, Ferhat Unvar und Kaloyan Velkov. Journalists Sham Jaff and Aline Jabarine talk to Schayan Riaz about the ongoing search for answers
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Hate speech "inferno" on Germany's social media
Muslim students face Islamophobia after meeting CDU deputy
German Muslim students became the target of a vicious online campaign following a digital meeting at the beginning of February with federal politician and high-ranking Christian Democrat Norbert Rottgen. By Peter Hille
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Spotlight on bridge builders: Farhad Dilmaghani
Working towards a society without discrimination
Farhad Dilmaghani is co-founder and chairman of the association "Deutsch Plus: Initiative für eine plurale Republik". He works to ensure that institutions, public authorities and businesses reflect the diversity in society. Ceyda Nurtsch introduces him for Qantara.de
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Spotlight on bridge-builders: Tahir Della
Campaigning in Germany for "a society of the many"
Tahir Della of the Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (Initiative of Black People in Germany) fights for the self-empowerment of black people, a resolute confrontation with the colonial past and greater sensitivity to the many forms of racism. Ceyda Nurtsch for Qantara.de.
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Spotlight on bridge builders: Comedian Idil Baydar
Counting up the cliches, Jilet Ayse tells it like it is
Comedian Idil Baydar may have received numerous awards, but she has also been the recipient of death threats from right-wing extremists. Her comic characters Gerda Grischke and Jilet Ayse hold a mirror up to German society and encourage audiences to take a closer look. Ceyda Nurtsch introduces her for Qantara.de
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Immigration, Islamophobia and the AfD
Germany's "welcoming culture" – for some a dirty word
Shortly after the expression was coined and found its way into German discourse, the concept of a "welcoming culture" was already being targeted by Islamophobic circles – and was finally taken down by them in a prolonged process. Joseph Croitoru on the history of a German hot-button topic
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Criticism of Islam versus Islamophobia in Europa
AfD's religious criticism is simply Muslim-bashing in disguise
Germany's AfD party claims its critical attitude towards Islam is religious criticism and hence falls under the right to freedom of expression. Yet the party fails to back its claim with convincing arguments, writes social scientist Ulrich Paffrath from the Frankfurt-based Academy for Islam in Research and Society in this feature for Qantara.de
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2015 and the Syrian influx
Five years on: how has Germany's refugee policy fared?
Five years ago, as hundreds of thousands of refugees came to Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel maintained: "We can do it." How has Germany – and those who sought asylum – managed since then? Christoph Hasselbach explains