A new task force began work in the Federal Ministry of the Interior on Tuesday to develop measures against the radicalization of young people in the area of Islamism. “We must recognize and stop these radicalization processes earlier – and, if possible, prevent further young people from becoming radicalized from the outset,” explained Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD). The first focus of the working group will be on online radicalization via internet platforms.
According to the ministry, the Islamism Prevention Task Force is intended to bring together experts from security authorities, civil society and research. Representatives from science, anti-extremism NGOs and state criminal investigation offices will be there. They should “develop new and effective recommendations for action and measures for prevention,” explained Faeser.
According to the ministry, the first focus is on the Internet because it plays “an increasingly important role in the Islamist radicalization of often very young people.” It can be observed “that messenger services such as WhatsApp, Snapchat and Telegram, but especially the video platform TikTok, are increasingly being used to spread Islamist and Salafist propaganda,” explained the Interior Ministry.
The task force will therefore “initially focus on the influence of digital and social media on the radicalization processes of young people” and will “develop new approaches for effective prevention online,” it said. With the task force, the federal government is also implementing part of its security pact.
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