Presenter(s): Lucas Shannon
Co Presenter(s): Zachary Gee
Faculty Mentor(s): Matthias Vogel
Poster 193
Session: Global Engagement ARC
The Muslim population in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland is growing in a manner parallel to the ever more polarizing political spectrum in the German Sphere. Two extreme views of Islam have developed: Islamophobia and Islamophilia. Both are on opposite ends of a spectrum, and both are equally unhealthy. While one is blinded by hatred for Islam, the other is blinded by a seeming infatuation with it. Complicated by Germany and Austria’s history, these attitudes often prevent proper discourse from taking place, something all the more necessary as migration brings more and more people of Islamic cultures to Western Europe. Islamophobia and Islamophilia are part of a self-fueling cycle that incites and increases each other’s outrage. If better tempers prevailed, the public debate around Islam and immigration would be more nuanced, allowing for the possibility to find real solutions to the problems caused by mass migration. To gauge public opinion on the matter, we will be analyzing polls, political documents, and be looking at media coverage on public opinion within Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. These statistics will show the trends and differing attitudes within the debate, and will also point to possible solutions for a more civilized debate over the issues.