Interior Minister Nancy Faeser admitted that Germany has an Islamophobia problem as she promised to take stronger action to fight the problem amid rising threats and hatred against Muslims.
"In Germany, almost every second person agrees with Islamophobic statements, and I am saying this clearly, we also have an Islamophobia problem in Germany," Nancy Faeser said at the German Islam Conference on Tuesday.
Addressing representatives of the Muslim communities and migrant organizations, Faeser said the government is aware of the problem, and they are examining recommendations of the experts to take new measures.
"For many Muslims in Germany, the threat of becoming a victim of an anti-Muslim attack has become an everyday reality. This has a catastrophic impact on people's sense of security, we cannot accept this," the Social Democrat politician said.
"All people in Germany have the right to live in security and enjoy democratic freedoms, which means that we will show zero tolerance for hostility towards Muslims, right-wing extremism, antisemitism, racism and other forms of misanthropy," she added.
Germany's Muslim communities reported a surge in Islamophobic hate crimes since the escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict last month, triggered by biased media coverage of the recent developments, and propaganda by far-right politicians.
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, 3 million are of Turkish descent.
'Germany’s Muslims afraid to speak'
Germany's Central Council of Muslims warned Tuesday against the false accusations of anti-Semitism against those who criticize Israel's military campaign against the Gaza Strip.
"Many Muslims in our country are uneasy, they're afraid to speak out at all, and feel intimidated by the debate," Central Council of Muslims Chair Aiman Mazyek told public radio RBB.
He said politicians and media outlets that accuse Muslim organizations of anti-Semitism, or supporting Hamas, are mistaken.
Mazyek underlined that Muslims have condemned attacks that targeted civilians, but also demanded an end to the military campaign by Israel.
"On the one hand, it is about condemning extremism such as the Hamas terror on Oct. 7 and, on the other hand, making it clear that the war in Gaza and the Israeli bombardment must not continue," he said.
In the end, the escalation of violence only helps extremists and pushes a peace solution in the Middle East into the distant future, said Mazyek.
He criticized German media reports that labeled pro-Palestinian demonstrations as "Hamas rallies" and accused protestors of "anti-Semitism" or incitement to hatred.
People who have lost loved ones in Gaza should be allowed to express their feelings, said Mazyek.
Palestinian groups organized dozens of rallies in recent weeks to demand a humanitarian cease-fire and condemned Israeli military strikes on Gaza.
The vast majority of demonstrations were peaceful, but some politicians demanded a ban on such protests, claiming that they were anti-Israel and supportive of Hamas.
Critics say rhetoric used by politicians is placing all pro-Palestinian protesters under general suspicion of anti-Semitism, while they are increasingly being stigmatized and subjected to racism.
The German government has repeatedly said Israel's security is non-negotiable as it bears historical responsibility for Jews because of the country's Nazi past, and crimes committed against Jews during World War II.