Islamophobic attacks in Germany sharply decline
June 5, 2019
A new report published on Wednesday found that Islamophobic attacks in Germany were down significantly in 2019 compared to the previous two years.
The information was published in the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung following a parliamentary inquiry from the Left party.
In the first three months of 2017, German police recorded 221 religiously motivated criminal offenses against Muslims, mosques, or Islamic community centers. By the first quarter of 2018, that number had dropped to 196 and then sank against to 132 in 2019.
The full-year trends have also exhibited a downturn,from 960 incidents in 2017 to 824 in 2018.
Islamophobic crimes include incitement to religious hatred, property damage, discrimination against Muslims, vandalism and trespassing. The statistics include violent attacks, which have also declined. The first quarter of 2018 saw 17 injuries in anti-Islamic attacks, while in 2019 there were four.
Germany has maintained separate data on Islamophobic crimes since 2017.
Left party domestic politics spokesman Ulla Jelpke warned that Germany had to remain vigilant, even if the news was encouraging because hatred was still being spread in other ways.
"The hatred of Muslims — to the level of criminal liability — continues to be an everyday occurrence on the Internet, in the pub, and, unfortunately, in the legislatures," she said, adding that racism "must continue to be consequently opposed in all of its manifestations."
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