German government hits back at online Islamists with nationwide raids Muslim Interaktiv banned

German authorities are cracking down on the spread of radical Islamist rhetoric within the country by banning an organisation popular on social media that has been publicly calling for the creation of a caliphate.

Police have been searching the offices and private homes of leading members of the "Muslim Interaktiv" union in Hamburg, Berlin, and Hesse since the early morning hours of November 5, Caliber.Az reports citing German media outlets.

With the ban implemented by the German Federal Ministry of the Interior now in place, Muslim Interaktiv is prohibited from engaging in any activity. Its websites and social media accounts are being shut down or deleted, and the group’s assets are being seized.

According to the ministry's announcement on this decision, "Muslim Interaktiv" violates the constitutional order as it seeks to establish Islam as the sole model for social organisation and rejects any state influence and legislation. Democratic societies were being denounced as “dictatorships of values.” The ministry also stated in a press release that the organisation violates human rights by rejecting gender equality.

Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) commented on the decision by stating that “those who aggressively call for a caliphate on our streets, incite intolerably against the State of Israel and Jews, and show contempt for the rights of women and minorities will face the full force of the rule of law.”

German authorities believe the ideological goal of the group is the creation of a caliphate — an Islamic world government claiming absolute authority. Muslim Interaktiv is ideologically linked to the sect-like organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir, which has been campaigning for a caliphate worldwide since the 1950s and has been banned in Germany since 2003.

Muslim Interaktiv primarily targets young audiences, especially through social media. Its TikTok account has more than 18,700 followers and 389,000 likes; it publishes clips featuring young Islamist preachers.

Police have also been conducting searches of properties linked to two other Islamist groups, namely "Realität Islam" and "Generation Islam". However, legal action has not been taken against these groups as of now.

By Nazrin Sadigova