To understand how political Islam reaches millions of young people, one only needs to open social media. On YouTube, two friendly men walk through the streets of a German city. They interview male passersby about Ramadan.
A young Muslim tells the interviewer that the communal fasting was a “cool feeling of community.” The atmosphere is casual, relaxed. The interviewers move on. They ask a middle-aged man, who identifies as an atheist, what he thinks of Ramadan. His answer: “If one is religious, why not.” One of the interviewers nods. It’s all quite noncommittal. The channel on the platform? Muslim Interaktiv, the two nice men are the new stars of political Islam propaganda.
Videos of the two are also available on other apps, such as TikTok. They also seem harmless. In one, the spokesman of Muslim Interaktiv spreads motivational messages for the last ten days of Ramadan. He sits in traditional attire in front of the camera and says: “The last ten nights of the month of Ramadan are among the best nights ever.” For example, the “Laylat al-Qadr,” the night when the holy Quran was sent to Muslims. Whoever prays to Allah with pure faith on this night will have their sins forgiven. The message is for believers to make one last effort before the end of the fasting period. “Give it your all!” reads the text under the video.
In another clip, Boateng introduces three prominent boxers who have converted to Islam: “The number one will surely surprise you,” “possibly the best boxer in his weight class.” Boateng urges his viewers to greet him with an “As-salam alaikum.”
The official channel of Muslim Interaktiv has been banned on TikTok for some time. But Boateng’s videos can be found everywhere. His followers continue to spread them. Millions of people have watched them. Boateng doesn’t look like a preacher at all. He looks more like someone from the upper middle class. He could also work in a hipster café in Berlin. Only the occasional formulas and phrases signal to his Muslim viewers: I am one of you.
However, the influencer has another side. He is more than just the friendly neighborly Muslim explaining what to do and not to do during Ramadan. This becomes clear when watching more of his videos. One is titled: “Treacherous Iftar.” It is about the meal that Muslims eat at the end of the fasting period. The video is shot in portrait mode, perfect for a smartphone screen.
Boateng’s hands are folded, his gaze is hard. At the bottom of the screen, a photo is displayed. It shows Israel’s President Yitzhak Herzog eating with the Israeli ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed Al Khaja. In September 2020, the UAE signed peace treaties with Israel.
An angry Boateng asks: “After 32,000 dead Muslims in Gaza, do these traitors have nothing better to do than maintain their relationships with these occupiers, the perpetrators?” The Israelis are “the cause and the reason” why “our siblings in Gaza have nothing for Iftar,” the meal at the end of Ramadan. Boateng doesn’t mention the murders of about 1,200 innocent Israelis by Hamas on October 7.
The young people who attend Muslim Interaktiv’s demonstrations are not bothered by this. On the contrary. At the last gathering in Hamburg in May with the motto “against the censorship of our Islamic values,” at least 2,500 participants attended. Subsequently, the opposition demanded that the German government coalition ban the group Muslim Interaktiv. North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister Herbert Reul warned about their inhumane content.
Another video: Hamburg authorities have just banned a demonstration by the group. Boateng is wearing a hoodie, the camera is shaking, he looks rushed. He talks about a dictatorship of opinion and values. He presents himself as a defender of the constitution, which should apply to everyone. The young man wants to show that he is loyal to the constitution. The German authorities are not. This is the message in many of his videos.
Then another clip, with dark music playing in the background, the room dimly lit. Boateng sits in a bright chair. Chancellor Scholz, says Boateng in a strong voice, is leading “an entire nation into the abyss.” Scholz’s statements about Hamas are being used by the media to make all Muslims the enemy. Such a thing has happened before in Germany, says Boateng. At that time, they also tried to establish an enemy image in the minds of the Germans. “You all already know the end,” says Boateng, folding his hands. Then the video ends. It is titled: “Adolf (Olaf) Scholz.”
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