Ali Mete, Secretary General of the Islamic Community Millî Görüş (IGMG), evaluated the report submitted by the “Independent Expert Group on Muslim Hostility” (UEM) on behalf of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

“We encounter unacceptable levels of Islamophobia in our lives. Everyone, including the legislative, executive and judicial branches, has a substantial amount of unfinished work in this regard,” Mete emphasized. 

He added the following:

“The report titled ‘Independent Expert Group on Muslim Hostility’ is similar to the observations and experiences of the Islamic Community Millî Görüş in many ways. The sole distinction in this case is that a reputable panel of experts initially outlined the issues on behalf of the federal government. 

After being disregarded for many years, the research released today offers some hope that Islamophobia is finally starting to be recognized as a problem. As a religious community, we are particularly concerned that Islamophobia is widespread in large segments of society.

The research serves as a warning against Islamophobia and demonstrates the necessity of taking action at all levels of the state, including education, the judiciary, civil society, the media, and even the arts and cultural sector. Because Islamophobic attitudes, stereotypes and even verbal and physical violence can be seen in almost every field. This is an extremely worrying finding. At IGMG, we agree with the recommendations of the expert group.

The security of Muslims is the responsibility of the state. This responsibility extends to the legislative and executive branches, as well as the judiciary. Given these clear conclusions, creating an expert council and appointing a federal officer to combat Islamophobia is no longer a choice but an obligation that is long overdue.

There is also an urgent need for action in the field of education, where Muslim students face mass discrimination and exclusion. That Muslim organizations do not receive an equal share from public finances is another crucial problem that needs to be understood.

The media and arts and cultural sectors also require sustainable finance. The report correctly notes that media portrayals of Muslims living in Germany are, at best, inaccurate, frequently stereotyped, and nearly always unfavorable. The result is often fatal, and it can be clearly seen in the report. About half of the population agrees with statements about Islamophobia. That number alone should be a wake-up call.”