New Islamist group in Germany stirs debate with caliphate calls

The demonstration in Germany calling for the establishment of a caliphate made widespread news. The group behind this, "Muslim Interaktiv," is using new methods to reach young people.

About a thousand people gathered in late April in the centre of Hamburg. The demonstration caused a stir in Germany, as its participants, chanting "God is great," carried banners with messages such as "Caliphate is the Solution" and "Germany = a dictatorship of values". There was significant outrage, and calls to ban such gatherings were made quickly.

The call to demonstration was made by the previously unknown group Muslim Interaktiv. The sizable turnout and the radicalism of the slogans took many aback. Even Necla Kelek, a sociologist from the Hamburg Secular Islam Association, who organised a counter-demonstration with other associations, expressed surprise by the demonstration organised by Muslim Interaktiv.

“This is a group that organizes itself through social media, such as TikTok," she told DW. "That makes it all the more dangerous. At least a mosque would give people a place to go and ask questions,” she added.

The Muslim Interaktiv (MI) group is under the scrutiny of security agencies and has been mentioned in the national counterintelligence report. Founded in 2020, the group has been classified as part of the organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT), which was banned in 2003 for advocating violence and calling for the killing of Jews.

According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, after the ban was imposed, informal HuT networks like Muslim Interaktiv emerged. The Office also includes “Generation Islam” and “Realität Islam” among the offshoots related to HuT.

The Muslim Interaktiv organisation has been deemed "extremist" by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. One of the reasons is that the group calls for a global caliphate, thus rejecting democracy and the constitutional order in Germany.

“This is a genuinely political program being rolled out, based on Islam and Sharia law. Put delicately, this is a revolutionary political movement pursuing a fundamental upheaval of the ruling order, not only in the Muslim world, but worldwide,” said Andreas Jacobs, head of the Department of Social Cohesion at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, to DW.

Unlike other Islamist movements, like Salafists, specific rules of behaviour are less emphasised here. “The movement doesn't really discuss questions about how to lead one's life, such as whether it's permitted to touch a woman,” he noted. Instead, Jacobs describes MI as an "identitarian youth cult", similar to extreme right-wing identity movements, like the so-called Reichs Citizens (Reichsbürger).

A look at social media reinforces this impression: the group has over 20,000 followers on TikTok. The videos are professionally produced, and the leaders present themselves in a modern and eloquent manner. They conduct street polls to show closeness to the Muslim community.

And it seems to be effective. In an online magazine T-online, a teacher anonymously reported on how leading figures in Muslim Interaktiv are idolised like pop stars by his students, who want to attend the demonstration to meet their "heroes".

The group often refers to current debates. It addresses the persecution of Uighurs in China, the burning of the Quran in Sweden, and a possible ban on headscarves in Germany. MI consistently portrays Muslims as discriminated against and marginalised, especially since the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, the onset of the war in the Gaza Strip, and global protests. The language used by MI and other groups has become much more distinct since then, says DW's Navid Wali, an educational worker at the NGO Violence Prevention Network.

“Muslim Interactive uses well-known influencers, who might share their content without much consideration, and then say, 'Look here, we Muslims need to stick together to fight back against Islamophobia. That is the excuse they use to attract others to join their cause,” explains Wali.

Wali describes Muslim Interaktiv as a political sect. All MI videos are in German, and their content is usually short analytical units. “Muslim Interactive is geared toward students, academics even. But the movement isn't primarily focused on gathering more followers as much as it is seeking to become as widely known as possible. Its plans can later be enacted by a small circle of insiders,” he says.

From a strategic perspective, it would not be wise for MI to take to the streets again – and provoke new demands for a ban, agree Wali and Jacobs. Indeed, during the second demonstration, which took place last weekend, there were no incidents like in late April.

MI is well aware of the legal boundaries, which complicates the potential banning of this organisation. Like right-wing extremists, identity movements seem to know precisely the framework within which they can operate. Calling for a caliphate, as long as it is only theoretical, is not banned in Germany.

However, Navid Wali fears that a ban could feed the victim narrative that MI often uses. “Instead of a ban, it would be better to show young people alternatives for how Muslim life might look like in Germany,” he says.

Andreas Jacobs particularly criticises the lack of knowledge about groups like Muslim Interaktiv. “So far there is little systemic inquiry into groups like this — their size, an analysis of their video platforms, links to messages by Hizb ut-Tahrir," he said. "Compared to other Islamist groupings, this is still in its infancy,” he assesses.

He believes a ban could also have advantages: “First of all, it would send an important message, and secondly, it would buy security agencies some time to take a closer look at its structures and consider how to deal with replacement organizations,” he says.