German authorities banned the Muslim Interaktiv influencer group, accusing it of anti-constitutional activities in calling for a caliphate, and raided the properties of two other Islamic groups on similar grounds on Wednesday.
Under the ban, Muslim Interaktiv, which organises demonstrations and is active on various social media channels, will be disbanded and its assets confiscated. The group rejects accusations that it wants to overthrow the social order.
Seven properties were raided in Hamburg, and 12 in Berlin and the state of Hesse early on Wednesday as part of preliminary investigations into two other groups – Generation Islam and Realitaet Islam – the interior ministry said in a statement.
Tensions between the German government and the Muslim community have become strained in the wake of Berlin’s sustained support for Israel since the October 7, 2023 attacks that triggered the war in Gaza.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz stirred them up again last month in comments interpreted by critics as suggesting that Muslim men are a problem in many cities and calling for more deportations.
After initially saying deportations are needed to address what he vaguely termed as the state of urban spaces, he later specified it was a reference to immigrants without residence permits.
CALLS FOR CALIPHATE
Muslim Interaktiv, founded in 2020, drew national attention in April 2024 over a demonstration in Hamburg with 1,000 attendees with signs reading “Caliphate is the solution” and “Muslims will not stay silent.”
“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,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt in the ministry statement.
The ministry said its ban was issued solely on the basis of a professional risk assessment and religion played no role in it.
Muslim Interaktiv, which has roughly 19,000 followers on TikTok and YouTube, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its social media channels.
In a position paper shared on the YouTube channel of the face of Muslim Interaktiv, Raheem Boateng, the group affirmed its support for the German constitution but rejected any state interference in its understanding of Islam.
“We recognise the validity of the Basic Law (constitution) as the normative order of the Federal Republic. It is precisely this regulatory framework that guarantees us, as Muslims, the right to exist in Germany,” according to the position paper.
