Rise of Young Women Converting to Islam in Germany

There’s been a noticeable increase in young women in Germany converting to Salafism, as reported by Berlin’s domestic political intelligence agency. This trend seems to be linked to the outreach efforts conducted via social media.

The Federal Bureau for Constitutional Protection (BFV) highlights that the Sunni Islam branch of Salafism is seeing growth in Germany, largely driven by these online conversions. Recent numbers indicate that in 2023, there were about 10,500 followers of Salafism in Germany. This figure has grown past 11,000, which is nearly three times the levels seen back in 2011.

The agency suggests that the conversion of German women is a significant factor in the expansion of radical Islamic sects. Social media is described as a key platform for this recruitment, raising questions about how this compares to radical influences of the past. Peter Neumann, a security research professor at King’s College, posed an interesting thought: “What was social media like a radical mosque 20 years ago?”

Suzanne Schreter, an honorary professor at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University and director of the Frankfurt Research Centre for Global Islam, noted that young women are drawn to radical Islam due to the sense of structure and community it provides. She remarked, “You get a clear peer group, a fixed value system. With a promise: if you stick to it, you’ll have a lot of sisters by your side.” Many women feel that this particular religious perspective grants them more respect, allowing them to be seen as individuals rather than just sexual objects.

One German convert shared her experience, saying that embracing Islam offered her the stability and structure she sought after previous involvement in various nightlife scenes and the LGBTQ+ community.

This movement isn’t limited to new converts; there’s a growing Muslim influencer culture emerging online, exemplified by figures like “Hansen” (Viktoria Stadtlander), a former kickboxer and model who has become a prominent voice for Islam on social media.

Germany faces another challenge with the presence of imported extremists. A recent study from the University of Munster revealed that more than 1 million Muslims with immigrant backgrounds (either foreigners or those with at least one immigrant parent) are at risk of radicalizing. The rise of Salafism in Germany is reportedly connected to the immigration crisis, particularly since 2015, when Salafists began targeting asylum centers and actively engaging with newly arrived migrants.