The authors argue that to compare Islamophobia with anti-Semitism is not to equate them. But finding some parallels might help German society to combat a growing and dangerous anti-Muslim racism.
See Liz Fekete, ‘Germany: freedom to speak on racism under threat’, IRR News (23 February 2010); ’Freedom of speech upheld for German academic’ , IRR News (31 March 2010).
2.
See for example Sabine Schiffer, 2005, Die Darstellung des Islams in der Presse (Würzburg, Ergon, 2005); S. Schiffer and C. Wagner, Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia - a comparative analysis (Wassertrüdingen, HWK, 2009); Iman Attia (ed.), Orient- und Islambilder (Münster, Unrast, 2007); Thorsten G. Schneiders (ed.), Islamfeindlichkeit (Wiesbaden, VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2009); Wolfgang Benz (ed.), Islamfeindschaft und ihr Kontext (Berlin, Metropol Verlag, 2009); Kay Sokolowksky, Feindbild Moslem(Berlin, Rotbuch, 2009).
3.
This was examined in the article on ‘The portrayal of Muslims in the German media’ see <http://www.migration-boell.de/web/diversity/48_2529.asp >; <http://www.migration-boell.de/web/diversity/48_1231.asp >; <http://www.bpb.de/publikationen/PEULKO,0,Der_Islam_in_deutschen_Medien.html>.
4.
It is impossible - even theoretically - to dispense with the element of alleged belonging to a group perceived as a ‘race’: thought through to its conclusion, this racial/biological framing posits a biological solution - physical extermination. The alleged belonging based on cultural concepts at least theoretically allows for ‘defection’. Unlike anti-Semitic projections, anti-Muslim racists do not construct ‘Muslims’ as an alleged ‘blood community’ or ‘race’, or claim that this racial background is responsible for the negative characteristics. This is, however, an essential element of genocidal anti-Semitism. Unlike anti-Semitic ideology, Muslims have at least a theoretical possibility for ‘distancing’ themselves from certain phenomena. However, this is increasingly coming into question. Although wars abroad and discriminatory practices at home are justified using Islamophobic discourse, which is occasionally frighteningly similar to anti-Semitic metaphor and imagery, the complete physical destruction of Muslims is not the goal of anti-Muslim racists, especially since ‘Islam’ is generally perceived as an external enemy.
5.
See Arbeitsstelle Rechtsextremismus und Gewalt (o.J.), ‘Antisemitismus in Deutschland 2009: eine Chronik’, p.3, <http://arug.de/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,27/>.
