In a sweeping move that underscores Germany’s intensifying efforts to combat extremism, the federal government on November 5, 2025, banned the Muslim group Muslim Interaktiv, accusing it of violating human rights and democratic values. The decision, announced by the Interior Ministry and swiftly enforced with police raids across multiple states, marks the latest chapter in Germany’s ongoing struggle to safeguard its constitutional order from both Islamist and far-right threats.
According to the Interior Ministry, Muslim Interaktiv was dissolved for promoting antisemitism, discrimination against women and sexual minorities, and for advocating the establishment of a caliphate—a political order that would place Islamic law above German law. Authorities described the group as “opposed to the constitutional order and the idea of international understanding,” and ordered the confiscation of all its assets, including cash, computer data, and handwritten notes. The ban also extended to the group’s online presence: its websites and social media channels were shut down, and the display of its symbols was prohibited.
“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,” declared Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt in a statement on the day of the ban, as reported by Deutsche Welle and the Associated Press. He added, “We will not allow organizations such as Muslim Interaktiv to undermine our free society with their hatred, despise our democracy, and attack our country from within.”
The crackdown was not limited to Muslim Interaktiv alone. In a coordinated operation involving several hundred police officers, authorities searched seven premises in the northern city of Hamburg—where the group was especially active—and 12 additional locations in Berlin and the central German state of Hesse. These latter searches targeted two other Muslim groups, Generation Islam and Reality Islam, which are suspected of being closely linked to Muslim Interaktiv and may even function as its subdivisions. While these groups remain legal for now, the Interior Ministry indicated that they are under preliminary investigation for similar extremist activities.
Andy Grote, Hamburg’s Interior State Minister, welcomed the government’s action, describing it as a “blow against modern TikTok Islamism.” This phrase, echoed in coverage by Germany’s dpa news agency and Deutsche Welle, points to a growing concern among German officials: the use of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram by Islamist preachers and influencers to radicalize young people. In recent months, several cases have come to light involving very young individuals who were motivated by extremist content encountered online—a trend that has alarmed both intelligence services and political leaders.
Hamburg’s domestic intelligence service, in a recent report cited by dpa, noted that Muslim Interaktiv’s leaders were adept at using online posts and videos to address socially relevant topics. Their strategy, investigators say, was to exploit these issues in order to “portray a supposedly ongoing attitude of rejection by politics and society in Germany towards the entire Muslim community.” The intelligence agency specifically warned that these fast-paced, entertaining formats are designed to appeal to young people and minors, making them particularly susceptible to radicalization.
Torsten Voss, Hamburg’s intelligence chief, emphasized that the government’s actions were not an attack on religious freedom, but rather a necessary defense against those exploiting religion for anti-democratic ends. “The ban was not against Muslims, but against enemies of the constitution who are exploiting Islam for political reasons,” Voss stated, as reported by Deutsche Welle. This distinction is crucial in a country where millions of Muslims live peacefully and where authorities are keen to avoid conflating the broader faith community with extremist actors.
Muslim Interaktiv, founded in 2020, had gained notoriety for its savvy online presence and its appeal to young Muslims who may feel alienated or discriminated against in Germany’s Christian-majority society. The group’s messaging consistently positioned the Muslim community as a marginalized minority, ostracized from mainstream German life. Authorities believe Muslim Interaktiv is affiliated with Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organization banned in Germany since 2003 for promoting violence and the killing of Jewish people. The Interior Ministry’s press release described Muslim Interaktiv as seeking to “indoctrinate as many people as possible to create permanent enemies of the constitution in order to continuously undermine the constitutional order.”
The group drew national attention in April 2024, when a rally it organized in Hamburg attracted more than 1,200 protesters. Demonstrators carried signs proclaiming “Caliphate is the solution,” and the event sparked widespread outrage among politicians from across the spectrum. Since then, calls to ban Muslim Interaktiv and similar organizations have grown louder. The government’s decision to act, officials say, was preceded by a thorough risk assessment and was deemed necessary in light of the group’s escalating activities and rhetoric.
Prominent voices in German civil society have endorsed the ban. Ahmad Mansour, a well-known activist against Muslim extremism, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “It is right and necessary that Interior Minister Dobrindt has banned this group.” He described Muslim Interaktiv as “part of an Islamist network that has become significantly more aggressive and dangerous in recent months. They carry out intimidation campaigns, specifically mobilize young people, and attempt to indoctrinate them with Islamist ideology.”
Andreas Jacobs, a Middle East expert and head of the division for societal cohesion at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, told Deutsche Welle in May 2024 that he regarded Muslim Interaktiv as an “identitarian youth cult.” This view echoes concerns in German security circles that the group represents a new, digitally savvy form of Islamism, one that is less about traditional religious teaching and more about political identity and grievance.
The ban on Muslim Interaktiv follows a series of similar actions by the German government in recent years. In the wake of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, which killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, Germany moved to ban the international network Samidoun – Palestinian Solidarity Network, as well as all activities of Hamas within its borders. The crackdown on Muslim Interaktiv is thus part of a broader strategy to confront extremism in all its forms, whether Islamist or far-right, and to prevent the radicalization of vulnerable segments of the population.
While bans on extremist groups are standard procedure in Germany and can be challenged in court, officials insist that such measures are essential to protect democracy and human rights. As Hamburg Interior Minister Andy Grote put it, the action taken against Muslim Interaktiv is “a blow against modern TikTok Islamism”—a phrase that may well become emblematic of Germany’s evolving fight against digital-age radicalization.
As the dust settles from this week’s raids and legal actions, Germany’s resolve to defend its constitutional order remains clear. The challenge now, officials acknowledge, is to stay ahead of new forms of extremism that adapt and thrive in the digital world, and to do so without alienating the country’s peaceful and law-abiding Muslim communities.
