One in two Germans says Islam is a threat

A new study by the German Bertelsmann Foundation found that half of Germans are wary of Islam. The pollsters blame the media for this state of affairs, adding that tolerance of other major religions in the country is much higher.

In a Bertelsmann Foundation’ study on religious diversity, one-third of the respondents see Islam as “enriching” German society. At the same time, half of participants said they view it as a “threat.”

The percentage of those skeptical about Islam is even higher in the eastern regions of the country – around 57 percent – even though fewer Muslims live there.

Meanwhile, Germans seem to have fewer reservations about other major religions. The study found that the “majority” of respondents are fine with Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

The study was part of the Bertelsmann Foundation’s ‘religion monitor’ research first conducted in 2017 and was based on a survey of 1,000 people across Germany.

According to German media, the total number of Muslims living in the nation of 80 million people amounts to about five million.