The German Interior Ministry on Wednesday banned the group "Muslim Interaktiv,"  which calls for a worldwide caliphate and rejects the democratic order enshrined in Germany's constitution, the Basic Law.

A ministry press release described the association "Muslim Interaktiv" as "opposed to the constitutional order and the idea of international understanding," adding: "The association will be dissolved. The assets of Muslim Interaktiv will be confiscated."

The association views the Muslim community in Germany as a minority that is discriminated against and ostracized from society. Founded in 2020, authorities believe the group is affiliated with the Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) organization, which was banned in 2003 after promoting violence and the killing of Jewish people.

Such bans are standard procedure against actors who are suspected of extremist activities — in this case, Islamist activities. They can be challenged in court.

Most recently, a few weeks after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, which left more than 1,200 people dead in Israel, the international network "Samidoun — Palestinian Solidarity Network" was banned in Germany, as were all activities of Hamas in Germany.

Interior Minister Dobrindt speaks of intolerable incitement

"We will respond with the full force of the law to anyone who aggressively calls for a caliphate on our streets, incites hatred against the state of Israel and Jews in an intolerable manner, and despises the rights of women and minorities," Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said in the press statement.

He said that associations such as "Muslim Interaktiv" would be prevented from "undermining our free society, despising our democracy, and attacking our country from within."

For months, concerns have been growing about new Islamist-motivated attacks in Germany, especially in light of the heated atmosphere due to the war in Gaza.

The enforcement of a ban on extremist groups is always preceded by a risk assessment by the interior ministry, which then issues an order imposing the ban. It was in the early hours of the morning that the ministry announced this immediate ban and provided information about ongoing searches of offices or other properties. At the same time, the group's social media channels were shut down.

The main focus of the search measures on Wednesday was on Hamburg. The northern German city has long been as much in the investigators' sights as the capital Berlin when it comes to Islamism. According to the Interior Ministry, police forces searched seven properties in Hamburg following a court order. Such searches usually result in video clips showing investigators carrying many boxes of material out of association rooms.

Islamist radicalization via social media

Senator for the Interior of the city state of Hamburg Andy Grote spoke of a "blow against modern TikTok-Islamism," drawing attention to what is currently one of the biggest concerns for German investigators: In recent months, there have been several cases of Islamist-motivated acts or preparations for acts involving very young people, who have rarely been targeted by investigators in the past.

The social media app TikTok is the medium of choice for those seeking to reach a young audience.

Hamburg intelligence chief Torsten Voss stressed that the move protected religious freedom, as the ban "was not against Muslims, but against enemies of the constitution who are exploiting Islam for political reasons."

Back in December 2024, for example, the state of  Baden-Württemberg's domestic intelligence agency warned that Islamism today is not the same as it was a few years ago. Salafist preachers and influencers now use social media to spread their Islamist worldview among young people, the agency said.

The intelligence agency specifically mentioned TikTok, Instagram, and similar platforms designed to "appeal to young people and minors with fast-paced and entertaining formats" that include extremist content. 

Middle East expert Andreas Jacobs, head of the division for societal cohesion at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, which is affiliated with the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told DW in May 2024 that he sees Muslim Interaktiv as an "identitarian youth cult."

In April 2024, a rally in Hamburg caused nationwide outrage. It had been registered by a member of "Muslim Interaktiv" and saw more than 1,200 people demonstrate against Germany's allegedly Islamophobic policies. Protesters held signs with slogans such as "Caliphate is the solution." Politicians across party lines were outraged. Since then, there have been calls to ban organizations such as "Muslim Interaktiv."

Authorities searched seven properties in Hamburg and 12 more in Berlin and the central German state of Hesse. The latter were part of preliminary investigations into two other organizations, "Generation Islam" and "Realität Islam" (or Reality Islam), the ministry said.

Those groups, while still legal, are strongly suspected of fulfilling the same conditions for a ban as "Muslim Interaktiv," as they may even be subdivisions of the now-banned group.

According to the Interior Ministry, the searches of the 12 properties were conducted purely to gather further information.

This article was originally written in German.

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