Germany has outlawed a Muslim organization accused of spreading anti-constitutional views and advocating for the creation of an Islamic caliphate.
The federal interior ministry announced the ban on Wednesday, confirming that police had raided seven locations linked to the group — Muslim Interaktiv — in Hamburg, the northern port city where it is based.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, a member of the centre-right CDU/CSU bloc, said the move was necessary to protect Germany’s democratic order.
“We will not allow organisations such as Muslim Interaktiv to undermine our free society with their hatred or to attack our country from within,” Dobrindt declared.
Founded in 2020, Muslim Interaktiv came under public scrutiny in April 2024 after a major rally in Hamburg attracted more than 1,200 participants. Protesters at the event accused the government of pursuing Islamophobic policies, with some carrying placards reading “The Caliphate is the Solution.”
The slogans sparked a national debate and raised concerns about the group’s intentions and ideology.
Authorities say the organization has also promoted anti-Israel sentiment, rejected women’s rights, and spread messages that contradict Germany’s constitutional values. As part of the ban, Muslim Interaktiv will be formally dissolved, and its assets seized by the state.
Hamburg’s interior minister, Andy Grote, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), hailed the government’s decision, describing the move as a significant step toward curbing extremist networks.
“We have eliminated a dangerous and very active Islamist group,” Grote said.
Meanwhile, police also carried out searches in Berlin and the western state of Hesse, targeting two other organizations — Generation Islam and Realitaet Islam — that are suspected of similar extremist leanings.
Germany has in recent years stepped up its clampdown on Islamist groups. In 2021, it banned the NGO Ansaar for allegedly funding terrorism under the guise of humanitarian work.
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