Germans - Xenophobic And Islamophobic?

(Above: Hamburg graffiti - "no memorial for racists.")

A German study conducted over years has produced some shocking revelations: almost half of Germans are xenophobic, do not like foreigners and did not admire Islam.

The Bielefeld Institute for Interdisciplinary Conflict and Violence Research released the study findings here on Thursday also stated that almost every fifth German are influenced by right-wing populist ideas.

Over and above, campaigns such as "You Are Germany" or the wave of patriotism unleashed during the recent soccer world championship in Germany have exacerbated the resentment against minorities, the weaker sections of German society, it said.

Indeed, in some parts of Germany, the study pinpoints symptoms of what is described here as "democracy emptiness".

It also stated that a growing number of Germans fear Muslims, prefer to keep away foreigners from their circle of friends and reject the democratic system in the country.

Understandably, conclusions drawn in the study have shaken the nearly seven million foreigners in the country, the majority of whom are Muslims who came from countries such as Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Iran, Afghanistan and others. A small minority of Malaysians also live in Germany.

The anti-foreigner sentiments are particularly high in immigrant-dominated regions or in rural regions, particularly in Eastern Germany.

For the study conducted under the leadership of Wilhelm Heitmeyer, a sociologist, some 1,700 representative Germans without any migrant background were questioned.

Heitmeyer warns explicitly against the consequences of the ongoing identity and nationalist-oriented campaigns which strengthens feelings of not only belonging to the mainstream but also unleash resentment against the weak minorities. "It is therefore dangerous to want to compensate social disintegration with national pride," Heitmeyer says.

Nowhere in the world as in Germany is sports, particularly football, associated so much with nationalism. "When you watch a football match between Germany and any other country, you can sense the fierce nationalism that can send shivers down your spine and remind one of what Nazi Germany did to its weaker minorities," says Mohamed Saleh Noman, a Turkish doctor who has lived in the outskirts of Frankfurt for over 38 years.

Generally, most foreigners in this country view soccer matches as a source of disquiet because many Germans fail to discern the difference between patriotism, which is viewed as something positive, and emotionally-charged nationalism, which while blindly glorifying all the attributes of the German race and culture, is generally aimed against foreigners and minorities with devastating effects.

Heitmeyer says the "party patriotism" born in the course of the soccer world championship in summer did not bring about any "positive effects". He substantiates this view with the surveys done before and after the soccer world championship, suggesting that the percentage of those who were "proud of German history" rose from 36.9 to 46.2 per cent, and those who were proud "to be German" rose from 79.5 to 86.4 per cent. On the other hand, the percentage of those who are "proud of democracy in Germany" declined from 76.4 to 64.9 per cent, and those "proud of (Germany's) social security" fell from 63.5 to 57.8 per cent. Heitmeyer interprets this as declining importance of democracy for an increasing number of Germans.

In view of these findings, Heitmeyer discourages the use of patriotism as a "rescue anchor" against existing fears and lack of orientation of the people. "Nationalism-spiced identity formulae are too easily associated with the downgrading of foreign groups," he says.

Xenophobia, already at a high level in Germany in recent years, has further increased, according to the study with more than 60 per cent of the residents in Eastern Germany admit they dislike foreigners. While in Western Germany, the percentage of those who dislike foreigners is around 46 per cent.

Berlin has the lowest percentage of those who dislike foreigners. However, this finding is surprising because Berlin has regularly witnessed attacks against foreigners in the past. Indeed, Berlin has what is described in local parlance as "no go zones" where foreigners usually are afraid to enter.

The percentage of those who stated that they had resentment against Muslims rose from 35 per cent in 2004 to 39 per cent now. Almost every third German is of the view that Muslims should not be allowed to immigrate to Germany.

While another study recently presented by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, a foundation closely associated with the ruling Social Democratic Party of Germany, suggested that West Germans had a much bigger right-extremist structure than East Germans, Heitmeyer sees rightist populism proliferating in Eastern Germany.

But Heitmeyer also believes two states in Western Germany -- Bavaria and Lower Saxony -- have much higher right-wing populist influences than the national average.

The sum conclusions of the study, according to Heitmeyer, present an alarming picture of Germany.

Indeed, the changing mentality has, meanwhile, even touched the middle-class segments of society who had until now been synonymous with solid and stable livelihood, performance and advancement orientation, and were considered guarantors of normality and political stability. However, these segments are also increasingly displaying fears of losing control over planning their lives, and developing a hostile mentality, according to Heitmeyer.

He emphasises that democratic ideals and values should be promoted and strengthened because they cannot be "monopolised" by a few.

This view is also shared by Wolfgang Thierse, the German parliament's deputy speaker, who appealed to the city and state governments to do more against a culture of ostracising and isolating others, and work towards a culture that accepts and acknowledges others.

Thierse had a message for Germans: "We have a civil-social task before us." (By Manik Mehta, Bernama)

****** When I read that article, somehow I felt that there was a lesson or two in it for our government and all Malaysians. By the way any of you reading this who've been to Bundesrepublik Deutschland recently and would like to concur with or counter the above report?

Picture Source: Carrignafoy