Germany cracks down on Muslim groups viewed as threats to its constitutional order

The German government on Wednesday banned a Muslim group, accusing it of violating human rights and the country’s democratic values, and conducted raids against two other Muslim groups across the country

The German government on Wednesday banned a Muslim group, accusing it of violating human rights and the country’s democratic values, and conducted raids against two other Muslim groups across the country.

The Interior Ministry said the organization which it banned, Muslim Interaktiv, represented a threat to the country’s constitutional order by promoting antisemitism and discrimination against women and sexual minorities.

The group is known for a savvy online presence used to appeal especially to young Muslims who may feel alienated or discriminated against in Germany’s Christian majority society.

The German government argued the group was a particular threat because it promoted Islam as the sole model for the social order and maintained that Islamic law should take precedence over German law in regulating life in the Muslim community, including in areas such as the treatment of women.

The German government has in recent years been acting more forcefully against extremism, and banned several extremist groups — including several far-right and Muslim organizations. The crackdown comes after a spate of attacks, both by Muslim extremists and far-right groups plotting to overturn the country’s order.