Three factors threatening the future of Muslims in Germany

The German media have been interested in the mutual statements made by Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German Minister of Interior, Horst Seehofer, on the question of the affiliation of Islam to Germany. The latter said in press statements last March: "Islam is not part of Germany" with Merkel responding to him, asserting that “Muslims and their religion is part of Germany”.

If things are settled, the Muslims, estimated to be four millions in Germany, are an inseparable part of the country, according to the German Chancellor. However, Merkel herself faces crises that could spell a dramatic end to her four-term reign during which she ruled the strongest European economy. “The Reference” will shed light on the reasons behind these crises that Merkel is facing, especially linked to the Muslims and the file of migration.

 The Impact of Middle East Conflicts

Things were going well for Muslims in Germany. The country was - and still needs - new citizens to bridge the gap in its population. Germany has been one of the countries facing the crisis of aging until the Arab Spring revolutions took place in the Arab world in 2011.

With the development of the situation in some Arab countries to military confrontations between different parties, the scene in Europe began to change. Syria is the most prominent example of what happened in these countries, as the Syrians fled their country in search of shelter from the pangs of war which left nothing behind. European countries were a destination for a large number of them.

In Germany, Merkel followed the so-called "open-door policy" and nearly one million refugees from the Middle East region have been welcomed since 2014. The German welcome garnered the admiration by many. Some German families lined up to welcome refugees on the railways’ platforms, carrying banners saying “Welcome” in Arabic.

At the heart of the event, the Muslim community was trying to offer help as much as possible, but this situation did not last long. On New Year's Eve 2015/2016, there was a major mass harassment in Germany. The police received hundreds of reports from women who were harassed and robbed by people with Middle Eastern and North African features.

Police opened more than 1,500 investigations after the incident, but the authorities have managed to identify only a few suspects. The incident caused a wave of discontent and unprecedented resentment, and many called for tougher laws to deport the perpetrators.

The incident of mass harassment in Cologne strengthened the right-wing Pegida movement whose right-wing supporters demonstrated to stop the flow of refugees to Germany. This movement also opposes the presence of people from Muslim countries in Germany, and their justification – as they claim – is that the Muslim culture does not go in tandem with European values.

Daesh’s lone wolves:

Muslims in Germany tried to mitigate the effects of the harassment incidents in the hearts of the Germans. They also attempted to clarify that those who did so deserve punishment and imprisonment, and that their actions are condemned by all Muslims, but they could not succeed. Daesh’s first lone wolves' operations took place to make matters worse. An Afghan asylum seeker injured five people in a knife attack on a train in the city of Würzburg, northern Bavaria, Germany in July 2016. The police shot the attacker dead with the Islamic State (Daesh) announcing its responsibility for the incident.

German police in Baden-Wurttemberg state announced that a Syrian asylum seeker killed a woman and wounded two people with a machete in the center of the city of Rütlingen, southwest Germany. The operation occurred in the same week when the attack in the city of Würzburg occurred.

In the city of Ansbakh, a Syrian asylum seeker detonated an explosive device, killing him and injuring 12 people. The young man filed an application for asylum a year before the incident was executed and his request was denied. However, he was given a temporary residence. When the police searched for his residence, a video that shows him threatening Germany of a terrorist attack was found. That prompted the police to declare that the suicide bomber had links with the Islamic State.

In December 2016, when the Germans were planning how and with whom they would celebrate Christmas, Tunisian Anis Al-Amiri was planning to carry out a run-over with a truck in a Christmas market in the German capital, Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 49 others.

Al-Amiri was killed after fleeing in confrontations with the police in Milan, Italy. Daesh also declared responsibility for this attack. However, the attack caused a strong reaction from all sides in the German society. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Germany would implement the strongest punishment against all who participated in this terrorist act.

The Germans were shocked last week when police investigations revealed that an Iraqi refugee whom the German judiciary refused to grant and his family the right to asylum in Germany killed a fourteen-year-old German girl after raping her. He then fled to Iraq with his family.

► What Next?

The situation for Muslims in Germany is now worse than ever before. That is happening especially with the success of the extreme right to exploit everything that has happened over the past years to increase its popularity among the Germans, exploiting the fear and intimidation of the so-called "Islamic invasion". The right-wing party, “Alternative for Germany” has become the representative of the opposition after winning third place in the parliamentary elections that took place late 2017.

The terrorist attacks have also reduced Chancellor Merkel's popularity to the point that she barely won the latest election. She also took three months to negotiate with political parties until she reached an agreement with two other parties to form a government coalition. This coalition is facing a huge crisis because of the file of migration.

The leaders of these parties want to tighten immigration rules, which Merkel opposes. This trend is being led by Horst Seehofer, leader of the Bavarian party and the German interior minister, who fears losing the elections in Bavaria in October. He has also threatened to resign as minister unless an agreement has been reached on migration.