Half of Germans view Islam as a threat, says new study
The new study surveyed 1,000 people. It was conducted by the foundation’s Religion Monitor department and the data was collected in the Spring of 2019.
By BENJAMIN WEINTHALMuslims pray during Friday prayers at the Turkish Kuba Camii mosque located near a hotel housing refugees in Cologne's district of Kalk, Germany, October 14, 2016. Picture taken October 14, 2016.(photo credit: WOLFGANG RATTAY / REUTERS)
The Bertelsmann Foundation released a study on Thursday revealing that every second German feels threatened by Islam. Dr. Yasemin El-Menouar, an Islam expert with Bertelsmann, wrote “Overall, about half of the respondents perceive Islam as a threat.In East Germany, this proportion is even higher at 57% than in West Germany [50%].“The new study surveyed 1,000 people. It was conducted by the foundation’s Religion Monitor department and the data was collected in the Spring of 2019. Only a third of those surveyed said Islam enriches German society. In contrast, a majority of Germans say Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism serve to enrich Germany.El-Menouar suspects that the negative result for Islam is influenced by the perception that Islam is more of a political ideology and less of a religion. However, the study also noted that “Only a minority of citizens show a clearly anti-Islamic view and demand, for example, to prevent the immigration of Muslims.”According to El-Menouar, “Although our study shows a widespread skepticism of Islam, but that is not necessarily synonymous with hostility toward [Muslims]. Many people have reservations about Islam, but that does not lead to political demands or anti-democratic views.”Chancellor Angela Merkel allowed a largely open border policy starting in 2015 that resulted in the absorption of over one million new refugees and immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.The Bertelsmann Foundation operates independently in Gütersloh, Germany.
