Germany Bans Muslim Group Over Calls for Caliphate

Germany has banned the Muslim group Muslim Interaktiv, citing anti-constitutional activities, including calls for the establishment of a caliphate, the Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday. Authorities raided seven locations in Hamburg, where the group was based, as part of the enforcement of the ban.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the organization as a threat to German society, saying it sought to “undermine our free society with their hatred… and attack our country from within.” The group, founded in 2020, gained national attention in April 2024 when over 1,200 people attended a Hamburg rally, with some carrying signs stating “the caliphate is the solution.” The event sparked a heated national debate.

The ministry said Muslim Interaktiv also promoted hatred toward Israel and rejected women’s rights. The group will now be dissolved and its assets seized. Hamburg’s Interior Minister Andy Grote supported the move, calling the organization “a dangerous and very active Islamist group.”

As part of ongoing investigations, police also searched buildings in Berlin and Hesse linked to two other groups, Generation Islam and Realitaet Islam. Germany has a history of banning similar organizations, including the NGO Ansaar in 2021 for allegedly financing Islamist terrorism under the cover of charitable work.