Harun Nasrullah
North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany’s most populous state with over 18 million residents, is set to open the country’s first dedicated anti-Muslim incident reporting centre, MEDAR, in spring 2025. The centre will offer victims a platform to report attacks and document anti-Muslim incidents, addressing discrimination and violence. This initiative follows nearly three years of planning.
MEDAR is part of a larger plan to tackle various forms of discrimination. In addition to MEDAR, NRW will launch three other reporting offices focused on addressing hatred against Sinti and Roma, queerphobia, and racism towards Black, Asian, and other minority groups. NRW already runs a reporting office for anti-Semitic incidents, which launched in April 2022 through NRW’s Office for Anti-Semitism.
The idea for MEDAR emerged after the 2022 desecration of Muslim graves in Iserlohn, where vandals damaged gravestones. This act prompted the state government to pledge funding for MEDAR, a project aimed at combating anti-Muslim hostility and other forms of discrimination. MEDAR will initially operate as an online platform where individuals can anonymously report incidents.
Reports of anti-Muslim hate crimes have surged in NRW. In 2023, incidents more than doubled from the previous year, with around 270 reported crimes. However, many victims do not report their experiences, often because the incidents fall below criminal thresholds. This makes the role of reporting offices crucial in capturing a complete picture of discrimination.
Kemal Bozay of interKultur e.V., one of the organizations sponsoring MEDAR, clarifies that the centre is not a judicial body. “We are not here to investigate criminal cases,” he explains. “Our goal is to provide a space for people to share their experiences.” Reports will not be forwarded to the police unless the individual provides contact details.
The new reporting centres have faced criticism from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which argues that they could encourage unjust accusations. However, the NRW state parliament rejected the motion to halt their creation. NRW Integration Minister Josefine Paul (Greens) defended the initiative, stating that it will help “shed light on dark areas” and encourage individuals who have not reported incidents to come forward. By documenting anti-Muslim hostility, the centres aim to develop targeted prevention measures.
Each of the four new reporting offices will receive €180,000 in state funding for 2025, further strengthening NRW’s commitment to combating discrimination and promoting equality.
