Racism is an ideological concept in which people are divided into groups according to their nationality, appearance, or their actual or perceived cultural, religious or ethnic characteristics. Racists ascribe these groups unitary group characteristics and assume their own group to be superior to others. Racism is expressed through discriminatory language and stereotypes, verbal assaults and violent attacks as well as through structural and institutional discrimination. Racists attempt to justify their hierarchical feeling of superiority through these racists practices. In Germany racist attacks and even murders happen on a regular basis. In 2017, the Federal Ministry of the Interior noted over 950 attacks against Muslims and mosques and more than 2,200 attacks against refugees or their accommodations.