Germany’s new task force tackles youth radicalization fueled by social media
A task force, established at the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, began its work on October 1, 2024, focusing on preventing radicalization and extremist influences among youth. The event, titled 'Anti-Muslim Racism and Islamism in the Context of Social Media’s Influence—A Challenge for Police and Schools', was held on January 21, 2025, at the Kuniberg Vocational College in Recklinghausen.
Participants divided into small groups to discuss new approaches to safeguarding youth from radicalization and extremist influences. The event aimed to strengthen collaboration between schools and law enforcement to combat hate and incitement, particularly focusing on the rapid spread of hate speech on social media to young, often uncritical audiences.
Prof. Dr. Mouhanad Khorchide, director of the University of Münster’s Center for Islamic Theology and a member of the 'Task Force on Islamism Prevention', gave a lecture exploring ways to counter narratives spread by TikTok preachers. He emphasized the importance of moving beyond stereotypes and offering young people alternatives to extremist ideologies. The event sought to identify strategies and methods to prevent individuals from falling victim to online hate or extremist ideologies.
The Recklinghausen Police Headquarters and local school counseling services organized the event to address the challenges posed by social media's influence on extremist ideologies and hate speech. The task force's work and the event's discussions are expected to contribute to the development of effective prevention and disengagement strategies.
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