Germany has banned the Muslim group Muslim Interaktiv over accusations of anti-constitutional activities, including advocating for the establishment of a caliphate, the Federal Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday.
The move came alongside coordinated police raids on seven locations in Hamburg, where the group was based. The ban follows months of scrutiny from authorities over the organisation’s alleged extremist messaging and activities.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, of the centre-right CDU/CSU bloc, said in a statement that Germany would not tolerate groups seeking to undermine democratic values.
“We will not allow organisations such as Muslim Interaktiv to undermine our free society with their hatred and attack our country from within,” Dobrindt declared.
The group first drew national attention in April 2024 after organising a rally in Hamburg attended by over 1,200 people, during which protesters accused Germany of Islamophobia. Signs displayed at the event, including those reading “The Caliphate is the Solution”, ignited a national debate and public outcry over extremism and free expression.
According to the Interior Ministry, Muslim Interaktiv promoted anti-democratic ideology, rejected women’s rights, and spread hatred against Israel. The ban means the association will be formally dissolved, and its assets confiscated.
Hamburg’s Interior Minister, Andy Grote, welcomed the move, describing it as a necessary step to protect public order.
“Authorities have eliminated a dangerous and very active Islamist group,” Grote said.
Local officials said the group, founded in 2020, used social media platforms to spread divisive narratives, including claims that Germany’s political class and society had rejected the “entire Muslim community”.
In related operations, police also searched properties in Berlin and the western state of Hesse as part of ongoing investigations into two other Islamist organisations—Generation Islam and Realitaet Islam.
Germany has previously banned several Islamist groups. In 2021, the charity Ansaar International was outlawed for allegedly financing terrorist activities abroad under the guise of humanitarian aid.
Authorities say the latest measures are part of broader efforts to counter extremism and defend democratic values amid rising concerns over radical networks operating online and across German cities.
