Discrimination, Inclusion, and Anti-System Attitudes among Muslims in Germany

Abstract

Muslims in Europe and North America face high rates of discrimination and hostility. Less clear are the consequences of this prejudice on Muslims’ political attitudes. Leveraging a survey of 1,330 Muslims in Germany, we show that Muslims who have personally experienced discrimination exhibit higher anti-system tendencies: more supportive of violence, more supportive of Islamism, and less supportive of democracy and secularism. We also find that these patterns are concentrated among Muslims who believe they “suffer alone,” not believing other Muslims experience similar hostility. Finally, through a priming experiment, we find causal evidence that German Chancellor Angela Merkel's inclusive rhetoric and policies toward Muslims may help mitigate these dynamics, reducing perceptions of discrimination and in turn producing pro-system sentiments.