Download the policy:brief no. 2 here.

The attacks by the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023, and the resulting war between Israel and Hamas have led to a significant rise in anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim racism in Germany. As both phenomena represent key elements of Islamist extremism, they are of particular relevance in a prevention context: On the one hand, anti-Semitism – also in the shape of Israel-related anti-Semitism – is a core component of Islamist ideology; on the other hand, anti-Muslim racism is an important pull factor for Islamist propaganda and radicalization. Efforts to promote democracy, in order to effectively prevent Islamism, must be targeted at both anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim racism and address both phenomena jointly rather than separately.

To be able to deal with the challenges appropriately and effectively:

1: Systematic efforts are needed to enable public service structures such as the education system to counter the impact of the Middle East conflict. This requires training and further education. At the same time, public service structures need to engage with qualified civil society institutions that offer support in crisis situations. It must be recognized that teachers and other actors in democracy promotion cannot address all the challenges alone, and that each institution involved fulfills a specific role. This includes prevention work carried out by the security authorities, which is a central part of a holistic approach to the prevention of Islamism.

2: Dialogue between Jewish and Muslim communities must be actively promoted and strengthened. Given the impact of the Middle East conflict, partnerships between religious communities, which have been talked about for years, need to be implemented now.  These partnerships help the prevention of Islamism by providing role models and figures of respect and authority, who can strongly influence their communities. Such initiatives help to reduce tensions, build trust, and break down stereotypes on the ground. A particular focus should be on working together to address the Middle East conflict and its influence on German society.

3: The experience of the Middle East conflict must lead to a holistic approach to the prevention of Islamism, in which the roles and responsibilities of the actors become more clearly defined. Instead of playing blame games or debating responsibilities, different actors must work more closely to together. This requires close cooperation between educational institutions, civil society organizations, religious communities, and security authorities to provide an effective response to the challenges linked to the conflict and to safeguard social cohesion.

Download the policy:brief no. 2 here.

Your contact persons

For content-related inquiries: Miriam Katharina Heß
For press inquiries: Charlotte Leikert

 

About policy:brief

The BAG RelEx policy:brief summarizes positions and insights from our work, with a particular focus on current socio-political issues and challenges. On the one hand, the policy:brief takes a step back to explain connections; on the other, it moves a step forward by providing target-group-oriented and appropriate policy recommendations. This ensures that our work, as well as that of our approximately 40 member organizations, is communicated effectively to the relevant audiences and supports exchanges with external stakeholders and actors from academia, politics, administration, and business.

Here you can find an overview of all issues.

The Role of Prevention of Islamism in Democratic Societies

Download the policy:brief no. 1 here.

A holistic approach to the prevention of Islamism must build on actions by both civil society and the security authorities. The role that civil society plays in prevention work is to make society as a whole more resilient by promoting common and democratic values. That is why the logic of interdiction, which appears to be an inherent part of “prevention,” cannot serve as guiding principle for designing civil society infrastructure for the prevention of extremism. In fact, such infrastructure works best in situations where state actors, due to the limits set by law, have little or no scope to act. Civil society prevention work is therefore not a model that competes with other approaches. Rather, the perspectives of all actors complement each other to form a holistic approach in which adherence to and respect for different perspectives is key to success.

Recommendations for action:

Looking to the future, it is essential to

  1. Understand that civil society structures, as they exist today, are part of the core concepts of internal security and to think about them accordingly in the long term and institutionally. A new interpretation of the funding structure should aim for the consolidation of existing actors, projects, and networks. This would also help promote and support transparency and quality management and establish points of contact beyond the regional level. It is equally important to recognize that extremist ideologies often interact with each other and can sometimes be mutually enabling and reinforcing. It is therefore necessary to observe these phenomena continuously and comprehensively to ensure that prevention work can address extremist ideologies in all their complexity.
  2. Instead of concentrating on more restrictive residence laws, the focus should be on defining and differentiating content more precisely, based on the criteria laid down in constitutional law. Just as in the field of right-wing extremism, the prevention of religious extremism must also be operationalized in terms of content. This requires expertise from civil society, academic institutions, and security authority sectors. A clear legal basis must be created that defines the line between anti-constitutional content and freedom of expression.
  3. Given the current situation, in which recent developments and dynamics appear to be intensifying with regard to extremism of all kinds, further professionalization of existing structures is essential. This applies in particular to dealing with extremist content in the digital space. To prevail against Islamist propaganda online requires sustainable and comprehensive prevention approaches and joint strategies. Here, too, cooperation between relevant state actors and civil society organizations is essential to expand and multiply approaches and opportunities for action.

 

Download the policy:brief no. 1 here.

 

Your contact persons

For content-related inquiries: Miriam Katharina Heß
For press inquiries: Charlotte Leikert

 

The Authors

Miriam Katharina Heß has been an Advisor for International Cooperation and Counter-Terrorism Analysis at BAG RelEx since 2025. Until December 2024, she was serving as an Expert on Religiously Motivated Extremism at BAG RelEx. She studied National and International Administration and Policy at the University of Potsdam, as well as Political Science at the University of Hamburg. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD at the University of Leipzig, where she examines the security rhetoric surrounding terrorism in the context of securitization in Germany.

Ivo Lisitzki has been an Advisor for Policy and European Networking at BAG RelEx since 2025. Until December 2024, he was serving as an Expert on Religiously Motivated Extremism at BAG RelEx. He studied Political Management (BA) and International Relations Middle East (MA) in Bremen, Istanbul, and Durham.

Jamuna Oehlmann serves as the Executive Director of the German Council on Preventing Extremism (BAG RelEx) and has been leading the project “Alliance for Islamism Prevention and Democracy Promotion” since January 2024. From 2020 until the end of 2024, Jamuna coordinated the Competence Network “Islamist Extremism” (KN:IX). With degrees from Berlin, Bangkok and London, she has an academic background in Asian Studies, International Relations and Diplomacy. Her studies focused particularly on international security and terrorism issues.

 

About policy:brief

The BAG RelEx policy:brief summarizes positions and insights from our work, with a particular focus on current socio-political issues and challenges. On the one hand, the policy:brief takes a step back to explain connections; on the other, it moves a step forward by providing target-group-oriented and appropriate policy recommendations. This ensures that our work, as well as that of our approximately 40 member organizations, is communicated effectively to the relevant audiences and supports exchanges with external stakeholders and actors from academia, politics, administration, and business.

Here you can find an overview of all issues.

A dynamic year is coming to a close. Together, we reflect on the work of BAG RelEx and developments in the field of radicalization prevention.We wish you strength in these challenging times and a peaceful end to the year! For those celebrating: Happy Hanukkah and a relaxing (pre-)holiday season!

Our Year 2024: Highlights and Developments

Expanding Our Network

In 2024, we continued to grow our network. New members include:

We’re excited to work together! You can find an overview of all member organizations here.

Key Discussions and New Formats

The Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East have had significant repercussions in Germany. These topics were also central to our work:

New Initiatives: The „policy:brief“

In 2024, we launched the policy:brief series, which takes a step back to explain critical issues while offering actionable, audience-specific recommendations. This format enhances communication with external stakeholders from politics, academia, administration, and business, supporting targeted and effective collaboration.

So far, we’ve published:

Advocacy and Collaboration

As part of our advocacy work, we engaged in cross-party discussions with politicians and administrators to address:

Our goal: amplify the voices of civil society, advance critical discourses, and promote effective measures. Follow us on LinkedIn to stay updated!

Our Contribution to PrEval

As part of the PrEval project (Eva­luation and Quality Manage­ment in Extremism Preven­tion, Demo­cracy Promo­tion and Civic Education: Analysis, Moni­toring, Dialogue), we:

We’re excited to continue our involvement in PrEval next year.

The BAG RelEx in KN:IX

In collaboration with ufuq.de and Violence Prevention Network gGmbH, we published the annual KN:IX Report, highlighting key topics and challenges in prevention work. Focus areas include:

The report also offers practical recommendations and insights for professionals.

This year, we also released four episodes of KN:IX talks:

Find all episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

Additionally, publications like “Holy Facade? Challenges and Controversies Around Christfluencers” (Impuls #11), „”Islamic State Khorasan Province: The Rise of the Afghan IS Branch and Its Relevance for Germany” (Impuls #14) and “Salafism Online: A Struggle for Media Presence or Theological Authority?” (Analysis #16) provided deep dives into critical topics and actionable insights for prevention professionals.

Looking Ahead

December 31, 2024, marks the end of the KN:IX project. Over the past five years, KN:IX has become a central platform for knowledge-sharing, networking, and expertise in preventing Islamist extremism.

While KN:IX concludes, the organizations behind it—including BAG RelEx—remain committed to this vital work. We’ll take on new projects and challenges in 2025.

Stay tuned—we’re just getting started!

For access to past KN:IX publications, visit www.kn-ix.de. Print copies are available upon request at info@bag-relex.de.

In autumn 2024, we launched a new format: the BAG RelEx policy:brief. It concisely summarizes key positions and insights from our work, with a special focus on current socio-political issues and challenges.

The policy:brief takes a step back to explain broader contexts while also moving forward by providing audience-specific policy recommendations. This format ensures that our work – and that of our approximately 40 member organisations – is effectively communicated and contributes to informed exchanges with stakeholders from politics, administration, academia, and civil society.

Here you can find an overview of past editions.

 

Dear Sir or Madam,

The short video “The Salafism Trap” („Die Salafismus Falle“), which was shared on the account of the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, for Sport and Integration on the platform X and has since been deleted, has caused great concern for us as the umbrella organization representing civil society actors in the fields of democracy promotion, prevention, and disengagement work. The video is stigmatizing and discriminatory in its presentation. It has also triggered widespread outrage and incomprehension on social media. Before its deletion, the video was widely shared, making it impossible to stop its further dissemination.

As the German Council on Preventing Extremism (BAG RelEx), we represent nearly 40 civil society organizations engaged in democracy promotion, prevention, and disengagement work in the field of religiously motivated extremism. Based on our professional expertise, we strongly caution against such overly simplistic and generalizing portrayals of radicalization processes. Young people and adults alike will rightfully perceive this form of communication as stigmatizing their religion. Such stigmatization and generalization can contribute to social isolation.

The video depicts religious symbols such as the hijab and niqab as signs of radicalization. A bearded man is portrayed as an evil Muslim. The young woman, who falls under his influence, is presented as a helpless victim. Beyond the religious stigmatization, this also carries a sexist dimension regarding Muslim women.

Our member organizations regularly report to us that young people in particular feel discriminated against and excluded by such portrayals. Their religion is effectively demonized, which can foster a stronger sense of protest and opposition toward society among them.

These experiences from our member organizations’ practical work are confirmed by research conducted by the Institute for Social Cohesion, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, which examines stigmatizing effects in Islamist prevention efforts. Initial findings highlight problematic associations between the term “Islamism” and the religion of Islam, as well as the definition of risk groups based on religious affiliation. More details on these research findings can be found in Dr. Hande Abay Gaspar’s article in our journal Ligante #6.

A fundamental shift in public communication on democracy promotion, prevention, and deradicalization is necessary to avoid negative consequences stemming from stigmatization and discrimination against target groups. We are happy to offer further consultation and discussion on this issue.

Best regards,

Jamuna Oehlmann & Rüdiger José Hamm
Executive Directors of BAG RelEx

Berlin, September 9, 2024

On Friday evening, during the celebration of the 650th anniversary of the city of Solingen in North Rhine-Westphalia, three people were killed, and several others were seriously injured. “We are deeply shocked by the attack in Solingen. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and friends, as well as the survivors. We wish the injured a swift and full recovery and would like to express our gratitude to the emergency services,” commented Rüdiger José Hamm, Co-Managing Director of BAG RelEx, in response to the initial developments.

On Saturday evening, the so-called Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, and a suspected perpetrator turned himself in to the police. According to current media reports and the assessment of terrorism researcher Prof. Peter R. Neumann, the IS statement references the ongoing military conflict between Hamas and Israel. “We have been observing for some time that the recent escalation in the Middle East conflict and the war are acting as catalysts for various developments: antisemitism, racism, and radicalization,” said Jamuna Oehlmann, referring to insights gained from Germany’s prevention landscape.

“With regard to the suspected perpetrator, we must now wait for the investigation results,” Hamm stated. “Especially in these difficult times, it is crucial for us as a society to counteract the division that extremists from different backgrounds seek to exploit. Both Islamist and right-wing extremism thrive on polarization, division, and hatred. We must not succumb to this by accepting their simplistic narratives.” Hamm also alluded to the instrumentalization of the Solingen attack within far-right circles.

“It is essential to take a strong stand for democratic coexistence. To do so, we must understand why individuals radicalize and intervene at the right points,” Oehlmann emphasized. “In particular, we should pay greater attention to social media and significantly expand prevention efforts in the digital space.”

BAG RelEx, August 26, 2024

For inquiries:
Charlotte Leikert
Advisor and Public Relations
Tel: +49 30 921 26 289

Mail: charlotte.leikert@bag-relex.de

In addition to Bluesky, we are now also on LinkedIn!

With 14 million active users in Germany, LinkedIn provides another platform where we, as BAG RelEx, aim to foster and actively shape the networking of civil society actors in the field of religiously motivated extremism.

Since 2016, we have been committed to promoting democracy and preventing radicalization in this area. However, we are not alone in this effort— as an umbrella organization of over 30 member organizations, we represent a diversity of approaches and methods, reflecting years of expertise in the field.

Get in touch with us on LinkedIn – we look forward to hearing from you!

 

BAG RelEx strongly condemns the terrorist attack by Hamas and its allies on Israel and the massacres of civilians. Regardless of how the Middle East conflict is politically assessed:

Massacres of civilians are not a form of resistance but rather inhumane terrorism that cannot be justified. Since the end of World War II, there have been no comparable antisemitic pogroms worldwide. We are shocked by the extent of the terror and deeply concerned about the further consequences for the civilian population. We mourn the victims and stand in solidarity with the relatives and survivors of those killed in Israel and the Palestinian territories. We hope that the hostages will soon be safely reunited with their friends and families.

We strongly condemn those who, even here in Germany, applaud, trivialize, or call for further pogroms in response to the targeted killings of Jewish children, women, and men, as well as the rapes and abductions. At the same time, we want to encourage those young people and adults who are committed to a peaceful path—now and in the future.

For us, it remains essential to consistently oppose antisemitism in all its forms, as well as anti-Muslim racism in all its facets. Generalizations or prejudice-driven simplifications of the entire conflict or entire population groups do not contribute to calming emotions and tensions; on the contrary, they have historically fueled further antisemitic and racist violence, even in Europe.

We call on political decision-makers to act with prudence and to refrain from making hasty decisions that could further escalate conflicts within Germany. We urge politicians to engage with experts and colleagues—including those from our member organizations—to discuss and implement appropriate responses at the levels of democracy promotion and radicalization prevention. The repression of antisemitic hatred and a consistent stance against any endorsement of terrorism are necessary. However, these measures alone are not sufficient to address the complexity of the entire conflict in all its dimensions, nor to tackle conflict situations—such as those in educational contexts—through pedagogical and political education.

In the end, terrorism must not triumph, leading to even more fear, horror, and violence. We call on all committed democrats who genuinely care about preventing further deterioration of the situation for civilians in both the Palestinian territories and Israel to work towards de-escalation here at home. From our own experience, we understand how challenging, emotional, and multifaceted engagement with the Middle East conflict is. At the same time, there is no alternative to seeking peaceful solutions to the conflict—even if, in the current situation, this may seem utopian or even absurd to many.

The Board and Management of German Council on Preventing Extremism (BAG RelEx)
Berlin, October 2023