Study: Half of Young Muslims in Germany are Islamists
The findings, published by the Radicalization Monitoring System and Transfer Platform (MOTRA), indicate that 45.1 percent of younger Muslims surveyed exhibit either latent or manifest Islamist views. Of those, 11.5 percent were classified as holding explicit, or “manifest,” Islamist attitudes, while 33.6 percent were identified as having more implicit, or “latent,” tendencies.
A new German government-backed study has found that nearly half of Muslims under the age of 40 in Germany hold Islamist-leaning attitudes, raising concerns among officials about radicalization and its broader social impact.
The findings, published by the Radicalization Monitoring System and Transfer Platform (MOTRA), indicate that 45.1 percent of younger Muslims surveyed exhibit either latent or manifest Islamist views. Of those, 11.5 percent were classified as holding explicit, or “manifest,” Islamist attitudes, while 33.6 percent were identified as having more implicit, or “latent,” tendencies.
Researchers defined Islamist attitudes as including support for Sharia law over Germany’s constitutional framework, as well as the presence of antisemitic views.
German Parliamentary State Secretary Christoph de Vries said the findings were “very concerning,” pointing in particular to data suggesting antisemitism is significantly more prevalent among young Muslims than in the general population.
De Vries attributed the trend in part to the influence of Islamist content online, including on social media and gaming platforms. He also cited the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack on Israeli communities as a broader catalyst for rising Islamist sentiment.
He warned that younger teenagers are increasingly vulnerable to online radicalization, with some cases involving minors expressing intent to carry out serious attacks. Among potential policy responses, de Vries suggested considering restrictions on social media access for younger users.
The official also called for closer scrutiny of religious institutions, particularly mosques with ties to foreign governments. He referenced the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB), which operates roughly 1,000 mosques in Germany and is affiliated with Turkey’s state religious authority.
De Vries argued that ideological currents linked to Islamist movements and antisemitism may be influencing discourse within some of these institutions, with implications for Jewish communities in Germany. He noted that in some areas, individuals wearing visible Jewish symbols face increased risk.
At the same time, other research has offered a more nuanced picture. A recent study by the German Center for Integration and Migration Research found that antisemitic attitudes tend to decline over time among Muslim immigrants and across generations.
That study concluded that antisemitism in Germany is not solely an imported phenomenon, but rather one shaped by a range of social, political, and ideological factors across society.