Muslim Experiences of Hatred and Discrimination in Germany

Authors: Saied R. Ameli, Ebrahim Mohseni Ahoeei, and Arzu Merali

Series: Domination Hate Model of Intercultural Relations (DHMIR)

Publisher: Islamic Human Rights Commission

Publication Date: May 20, 2021

This latest contribution to the DHMIR series looks at the rise in Islamophobia in Germany, based on survey work recording Muslim experiences. The research overviews the history of Muslims in Germany, the nexus of contemporary issues they and other minoritized communities face.

Making a series of bold recommendations, this report is aimed at policy makers and those interested in tackling social inequality and injustice.

Using the state of the art Domination Hate Model of Intercultural Relations, the authors of this long awaited analysis of Islamophobia in Germany chart the demise of the ideas of citizenship, equality and new Germanness.

The authors argue that Germany is uniquely poised in Europe to lead other nations in good practice or bad. The current situation is veering dangerously to the bad – with laws, policies and public rhetoric all imbued with and reproducing Islamophobic narrative and practice.

Alongside analysis, the research sets out a comprehensive set of recommendations looking at media, policing, political narrative, citizenship laws, employment, education and many other aspects of the German state. It also presents fieldwork and statistics based on the DHMIR survey of the experiences of Muslims in Germany.

About the Authors

Saied R. Ameli is Professor of Communications at the University of Tehran. He is currently a member of Department of Communications and the director of the UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture, and Cyberspace Policy Research Center, Faculty of World Studies at the University of Tehran.

Ebrahim Mohseni Ahoeei is a Senior Researcher at the Cyberspace Research Policy Center, University of Tehran and PhD Student, Communication and New Media Studies, University of Vienna

Arzu Merali is a writer and researcher based in London, UK.

Source: Islamic Human Rights Commission

“Dr. Kara is part of a new generation of international scholarship in Shi’i Islam. His approach to the material and the questions he asks are fresh and creative,” President Hadsell said. “His appreciation for and experience with the importance and richness of the dialogue between schools of Islamic thought are also part of the considerable contribution he will make to his field and to all of us at Hartsem.” Dr. Kara completed his MAs at the University of London and the Islamic College, and his Ph.D. at the University of Durham as well as studying in seminaries in the UK, Syria and Iran. For seven years, he worked as a research assistant and researcher for the Islamic Human Rights Commission in London. He is the author of numerous articles and chapters, and organized the project “Working Towards a Long-Term Solution to Internecine Muslim Violence” for the Universal Justice Network. He will begin work in July as Assistant Professor for Shi’i Studies and Relations between Islamic Schools of Thought.

“By establishing the Imam Ali Chair for Shi’i Studies and Dialogue among Islamic Legal Schools, Hartford Seminary is yet again playing a pioneering role in developing community relations,” Dr. Kara said. “What makes this position even more special is that, in the current climate of intra-religious tension, it holds a unique responsibility to work towards understanding the causes of tension and defusing them, through engaging with the community and carrying out rigorous academic research. I feel extremely privileged to be appointed to such an important position.”

Dr. Mahmoud Ayoub, now retired from teaching at Hartford Seminary, was the driving force behind the Imam Ali Chair, which was established in 2015. The first and present occupant of the chair is Dr. Sayed Ammar Nakhjavani, who is known around the world as a speaker and was named to the list of The 500 Most Influential Muslims. The reason for the chair, Dr. Ayoub said at the time it was inaugurated, is not to create a rival program for the study of Sunni Islam, which encompasses about 85 percent of Muslims. It is to include the voice of Shi’i Islam at an institution that has such a special history and role in Christian-Muslim relations and to work toward Muslim unity. Dr. Kara, he said, is an excellent person to fill that role because of his understanding of both Shi’i and Sunni scholarship and his active participation as a scholar. “His work on human rights is very good for the Seminary,” Dr. Ayoub said. “He will fit here quite well.”

Source: Hartford Seminary’s Website