Muslims’ Experiences with Discrimination, Political Support, and Future Expectations

In contrast to the general expectation, survey studies show that Muslims living in Western democracies display higher levels of support towards the political system and its objects than their non-Muslim fellow citizens. However, research also showed that trust towards political institutions decreases when immigrants of Muslim faith in Western democracy feel discriminated. Based on group discussions with Muslim men and women (n = 36) in a southern German town, we examine the positions that Muslims disclose towards the political system and its objects, when recalling experiences of discrimination. Furthermore, we analyze how belonging to the political community is negotiated and how participants evaluate developments in Germany regarding societal cohesion, mutual respect, and acceptance. To get a nuanced understanding of Muslims’ attitudes we draw on Easton’s (1965, 1975) concept of political support and ideas from procedural justice theory to differentiate between ability and willingness components of performance.