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Raids against youth Islamism: There was also a crackdown in Hamburg!
In Jenfeld, apartments were searched to investigate Islamist activities among young people. Investigations are ongoing.
Raids against youth Islamism: There was also a crackdown in Hamburg!
There was excitement all over Germany on Thursday morning: in a large-scale operation, apartments in twelve federal states were searched and suspects were questioned. Northern Germany also remained unaffected by the measures. According to NDR, the searches were primarily aimed at young people who spread Islamist content on the Internet. The focus of the investigation was on important target groups and spreaders of Islamist propaganda.
In Hamburg, three men aged 16, 18 and 24 were specifically targeted. According to the investigators, the measures took place in the districts of Eidelstedt and Jenfeld, where data carriers were seized as evidence. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) makes it clear that this group is not isolated: There were similar operations in other cities, for example in Lower Saxony, with searches in Bremen, Hanover, Oldenburg and Celle. In Schleswig-Holstein, further missions were recorded in Rendsburg and Ratzeburg.
Growing danger from social networks
The current situation is not exactly reassuring. The Hessian Ministry of Education has already registered 14 Islamist-motivated incidents for 2023 - most of them in connection with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th. There is an alarming increase in Islamist-motivated incidents in many federal states. Extremists specifically use platforms like TikTok to win young people over to their ideology. This “tikotization of Islamism” has now taken on worrying dimensions.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has identified TikTok as a central location for Islamist propaganda. Influencers and preachers are closely aligned with the zeitgeist and use pop culture approaches to appeal to young people. The content is often simplified and presented in short, memorable clips – a kind of “decomplexification” that is particularly popular with young people. While not everyone who consumes such content will become radicalized, there are clear warning signs: isolation and sudden changes in behavior should alert parents and teachers.
Prevention measures
To counteract this, there are various contact points and support offers. Initiatives such as the federal program “Living Democracy!” offer funding for projects to promote media literacy. Advice centers like “beRATen e.V.” in Hanover, parents and teachers help to develop the right strategy to prevent radicalization. The “Violence Prevention Network” also offers training for teachers so that they can react early to signs of radicalization.
Interior Minister Dobrindt has banned the Islamist group “Muslim Interaktiv” under association law, while the focus remains on two other groups, YouTube and Instagram. According to the BKA, these organizations could also actively contribute to the spread of extremist content.
A clear message from this overall situation is that not only the state authorities, but also society as a whole are called upon. Reporting suspicious content on social networks to the police or social network providers is strongly recommended.
Current developments show that the topic is important not only in Hamburg, but nationwide. This makes it all the more important to keep our eyes and ears open – for all of us.