Berlin: In a disturbing incident highlighting the escalating Islamophobia in Germany, a 15-year-old Muslim student, who wore a necklace adorned with the word ‘Allah,’ was assaulted by her classmates in a Berlin school on Friday.
The victim was attacked by at least five students in a school bathroom in the Wilhelmstadt district, west of Berlin.
The assailants forcibly removed her necklace and subjected her to physical abuse, resulting in injuries that necessitated hospital treatment. A teacher intervened, providing first aid to the victim. German police are currently investigating the incident to determine if it qualifies as a "religiously motivated" crime.
This attack is just one in a series of Islamophobic incidents that have surged in Germany since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict last month. Anti-Muslim hate crimes have seen a sharp rise, with Muslim communities reporting verbal and physical assaults, vandalism of mosques, and online harassment.
The backdrop of the Israel-Hamas conflict has further fuelled tensions, exacerbated by the propaganda of far-right politicians and biased media coverage.
Germany, home to the second-largest Muslim population in Western Europe, is now grappling with the alarming escalation of Islamophobia, prompting calls for unity and increased efforts to combat discrimination and hatred.