Anything powerful becomes even more powerful on social networks. This is also true for Islamism. In recent weeks, there has been much debate about videos in which people trivialized or even praised Islamist attacks, such as those in the German city of Mannheim. One example is the hate preacher “Imam Meti,” who appeared on TikTok waving a knife and celebrating murders by Islamists as “good news” while calling for further acts of violence. As expected, politicians from all parties condemned such acts as despicable. Equally predictably, they demanded action against them. But regardless of how quickly and accurately the security authorities target these sneering agitators, the problem only begins there.
Just as power-conscious right-wing extremists rarely out themselves with “Heil Hitler” shouts in front of cameras, strategically thinking Islamists often refrain from public calls for jihad. They want to attract young people, not the police. And young people rarely long for political slogans but frequently seek attention, understanding, and guidance in their quest to become cool adults. Islamists know how to exploit this. Their method is well described in the “Islamism Situation Report” by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in North Rhine-Westphalia, which was recently published. It states that popular extremist Salafists present themselves as influencers: new sneakers instead of long beards. They speak in colloquial language, flirt with a gangster image that borrows from the subcultural elements of gangster rap in language and appearance, boast of martial arts experience, and connections to clan circles. They do not criticize consumption but flaunt their possessions, cars, houses, and vacation destinations. In contrast, men in traditional garb were more often seen in the past, speaking about how often one should pray, how strictly one must fast, and how frequently a young man should read the Quran.
An example of the new type is Dehran Asanov. The influencer and Salafist casually presents himself to his millions of followers on TikTok or YouTube in a basketball jersey. According to the intelligence services, he spreads “chauvinistic-patriarchal values and moral concepts, which are underpinned by extremist Salafist justifications.” Similar observations have been made by other security agencies in Germany. Their annual report this year included a chapter on the “TikTokization of Islamism” for the first time. It states that Islamist influencers are significantly driving radicalization processes on social networks. Family and teachers often do not notice this at all.
This has been going on for a while, but TikTok is changing the methods and accelerating their impact. The intelligence services describe that the platform creates a massive reach, especially among young people, while being barely used by older generations. Many teachers and parents, unlike with Instagram, are unaware of what is happening there. Moreover, TikTok suggests content to its users based on their previous interactions, tailoring the offerings more precisely to them. The network has a “high addiction potential” and is considered a “digital drug.”
And the Islamists are getting creative: They have popularized the Q&A video format. Young people can ask questions about Islamic-compliant lifestyles, and famous influencers answer them in thirty or forty seconds. For example, when a young person asks if a woman is allowed to work, the response is that it is generally okay as long as “there are no Haram aspects in this work,” meaning things that contradict religious rules. So if the woman does not work with men, does not have to take off her headscarf, or “perform any Haram activity,” everything is fine.
The TikTok preachers are not only active digitally; some perform like pop stars, for example, in mosques or as tour guides on pilgrimages to Mecca. There, they introduce young people to more extensive content of radical Islam. Anti-Semitic stereotypes also play an important role. They serve as anchors into the broader public. Islamists have managed to co-opt the demonstrations surrounding the Gaza war and transform a regional conflict into an issue for all Muslims with an Islamist twist. They imply that there is only one way: fighting the West.
The conclusion of the intelligence services: TikTok contributes to a new, dramatic dynamic, bringing dangerous ideologies from the virtual realm into the real world. Preachers fuel the alienation of young people from mainstream society and the values of the democratic constitutional state. But what can be done? The security authorities alone cannot fix this. A significant portion of the propaganda does not violate current laws. TikTok has recently shown more diligence in acting against extremists, partly due to pressure from the EU, the German government, and the United States. It has demonstrated what regulation is possible: throttling the reach of profiles, blocking accounts, or deleting sensitive videos. However, the intelligence services believe it is necessary for government agencies, security authorities, teachers, and parents to share the workload, network, and put in more effort to tackle this Herculean task. The longer they wait, the less likely they are to succeed.
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