Germany's foremost human rights organization, the German Institute for Human Rights (DIMR), issued a warning on Monday about a growing wave of anti-Muslim racism amidst escalating Middle East tensions. The organization called on politicians and media outlets to refrain from making harmful generalizations.  

In a newly published 32-page report, DIMR examined the effects of the Gaza conflict on democracy and human rights. While the report emphasized rising antisemitism, it also highlighted growing concerns about increasing anti-Muslim incidents.  

Beate Rudolf, the director of DIMR, noted that the use of broad stereotypes and negative portrayals of Muslims in political and media narratives, especially following the October 7, 2023, attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, has adversely impacted fundamental rights and freedoms.

“Anyone who criticizes the Israeli government is not automatically acting antisemitic. Anyone who advocates for a separate state for the Palestinians is not automatically a Hamas sympathizer. Generalizations only promote antisemitism, as well as racism against Palestinians and Muslims,” she told a press conference in Berlin.

According to the data, hate crimes in Germany have doubled to 5,164 cases in 2023 compared to the previous year, and antisemitic events have increased since October 7, 2023. The last quarter saw more than half of these infractions. Police received 1,997 reports of antisemitic offences in the first half of 2024.

In order to combat antisemitism in Germany, DIMR advocated for increased civic involvement, extending preventative initiatives like awareness-raising campaigns in schools and funding initiatives that dispel false information and conspiracies.

The institute also urged authorities to refrain from generalising too much and disseminating unfavourable stereotypes about Muslims, stressing that limitations on the right to free speech and assembly should only be applied in extraordinary circumstances that are allowed by law.

“The bans on demonstrations described as 'pro-Palestinian' in the months after October 7, 2023 made it difficult for people, especially people with a Palestinian family history, to publicly express their grief for the many civilian victims in the Gaza Strip and their solidarity with the civilian population there and to demand an end to the war, and an independent Palestinian state,” the report said.

DIMR experts pointed out that German media and politicians often overlooked the fact that Israeli Jews also attended some of these protests, advocating for the rights and concerns of both sides.

“The term 'pro-Palestinian' used in the bans and taken up by politicians and the media promoted a blanket equation of Palestinians with antisemitic, pro-violence Hamas supporters. This public perception and the focus of social debates on violent demonstrations strengthened existing racism against Palestinians and people who are perceived as Arab or Muslim,” the experts have noted.

The report showed that 1,926 anti-Muslim racist incidents were documented across Germany last year -- averaging more than five cases per day and marking a 114% increase from 898 incidents in 2022.