Study: Ideological Divide Between Germany and Its Muslims

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Study: Ideological Divide Between Germany and Its Muslims

A large percentage of German Muslims have views liable to startle their host country.

A new survey indicates that many of Germany’s Muslims hold fundamentalist views toward violence and religion. The study was performed by the University of Hamburg’s Institute of Criminology and released on Thursday by the Interior Ministry, which commissioned the report.

Researchers found that 44 percent of Muslims think they will enter paradise if they die defending their religion, and 40 percent would justify the use of violence if Islam is being threatened by the West.

One in three respondents stated anti-Semitic or anti-Christian views, according to Deutsche Welle.

According to the report, 80 percent of those interviewed disapproved of suicide bombings. However, researchers also determined that a large percentage of students consider themselves victims of anti-Islamic sentiment, and found that one in four Muslim students were “latently at risk of being radicalized.”

Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble said the report revealed a “serious potential for Islamic radicalization.”

For more news on Germany’s recent history in dealing with Islam, read “Germany Considers Restricting Rights to Combat Terrorism,” and “Bavaria Cracks Down on Muslims.”