Religious toleration of Muslims in the German Public Sphere

This study investigates public resistance towards Muslims’ civil liberties, such as the wearing of headscarves, the provision of Islamic education and the building of mosques as well as the official recognition of Islam by creating a Islamic public holiday. Explanations were sought in negative perceptions and attitudes towards Muslims and individual value orientations. The main findings, based on path analysis and Mokken scale analysis of German 2009 survey data, are (1) that people differentiate between what they are asked to support, (2) that support for such restrictions exists among people with a negative as well as among people with a positive attitude towards Muslims, and (3) that individual value orientations have an independent effect on perceptions and attitudes towards Muslims and support for Muslims’ civil liberties. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of the relation between prejudice and tolerance, as well as the current debates about practising Islam in Western societies.

► Respondents differentiate among support for Muslims’ civil liberties. ► Support for restricting Muslims’ liberties also among non-prejudiced respondents. ► Value orientations have independent effect on prejudice and tolerance Muslims.