Marginalized and Courted: Young Muslims Caught Between Discrimination and Radicalization in the Digital Sphere

Junge Muslim*innen zwischen Diskriminierung und Radikalisierung im digitalen Raum

Digital platforms are also spaces where competing political and religious narratives vie for attention. This raises the increasingly pressing question of what role digital public spheres play in polarization, social conflicts, and potential radicalization dynamics.

 

When: Thursday, June 18, 2026, 6:00–8:00
p.m. Where: Auditorium, DeZIM Institute, Mauerstraße 76, 10117 Berlin

Digital platforms like TikTok have long been more than just places for entertainment. They are social spaces where a sense of belonging, orientation, and political expression are negotiated. Digital platforms are also places where competing political and religious narratives vie for attention. This raises the increasingly pressing question of what role digital public spheres play in polarization, social conflicts, and potential radicalization dynamics.

For young Muslims, these platforms are spaces for visibility, community-building, and the negotiation of identity. At the same time, they are spaces where young Muslims are confronted with discrimination, competing narratives, and political or religious discourses that promise belonging, recognition, and orientation.

Recent empirical studies show that radicalization processes rarely begin with overtly extremist content. Problematic forms of discourse often tie in with everyday experiences, the search for a sense of belonging, and social conflicts. It is precisely here that challenges for prevention and civic education lie.
The DeZIM_talk takes these ambivalences as its starting point.

Following an introductory presentation by Dr. Nader Hotait on key findings from current research, we will discuss with representatives from politics, academia, and prevention practice about the limitations of common explanatory models, platform logic, and social conflicts, as well as the question of what options for action policymakers and civil society actually have under these conditions. 

The focus is on how prevention can be designed without further reinforcing societal stereotypes and experiences of exclusion. Another key question is what responsibility platforms bear and what form regulation that addresses algorithmic dynamics might take. The goal is to strengthen social participation and highlight the complexity of these dynamics, rather than reducing them to oversimplified narratives of radicalization. 


The event is aimed at stakeholders from politics, government, academia, and civil society, as well as anyone interested in digital public spheres, radicalization dynamics, and issues of social cohesion. 

KEY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS / MAIN FINDINGS

  1. How do radicalization dynamics emerge in the digital sphere, and where do conventional explanatory models reach their limits?
  2. What role do platform logics and algorithmic amplification play, and where are their effects overestimated in public discourse?
  3. How are experiences of discrimination linked to interpretations relevant to radicalization, and why do certain types of content appeal to some young people while others barely react to them?
  4. What options for action are available to policymakers and practitioners when many connections remain unclear, and where do conflicting goals arise between prevention, regulation, and social participation? 

Review 

The DeZIM_talk was opened by Dr. Noa Ha, Research Director of the DeZIM Institute. She contextualized online radicalization within the interplay of experiences of discrimination, social exclusion, and prevention strategies, and outlined the key topics for the evening.  

In the subsequent presentation, Dr. Nader Hotait presented current research findings on Muslim users on TikTok and empirically contextualized common assumptions about digital radicalization. It became clear that mere exposure to extremist content or algorithmic visibility does not automatically lead to radicalization. Rather, experiences of discrimination, existing attitudes, trust in institutions, and both analog and digital living environments must be considered together.  

The subsequent panel discussion with Honey Deihimi, Head of the Democracy and Civic Engagement Division at the Federal Ministry of Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth; Dr. Götz Nordbruch; Dr. Friedhelm Hartwig; and Dr. Nader Hotait explored these perspectives in greater depth. Digital spaces were characterized as ambivalent places: on the one hand, they served as spaces for visibility, community-building, and normality within youth culture; at the same time, they represented places of both polarization and conflict. It was emphasized that young Muslims are generally concerned with the same issues as other young people, such as education, future prospects, social issues, and the desire for recognition. At the same time, experiences of discrimination and racism, as well as declining trust in institutions, shape the lived realities of many Muslims. Global conflicts also influence how digital content is perceived and interpreted. 

There was consensus that radicalization cannot be explained by a single cause. Discussions focused in particular on platform logic, algorithmic dynamics, AI-driven developments, and the significance of digital echo chambers. At the same time, it was emphasized that radicalization does not arise exclusively in the digital realm but interacts with social relationships and societal structures in the analog world. 

Accordingly, an integrated approach that combines democracy education with the prevention of extremism was emphasized for prevention efforts. There were calls for media education initiatives, the promotion of source criticism, and the involvement of communities. Offline social spaces such as schools, clubs, and local networks should be strengthened so that young people can discuss controversial social issues from multiple perspectives, critically evaluate information, and find guidance through dialogue with others. 

Overall, the event made it clear that oversimplified interpretations of “online radicalization” are not analytically sound. What is needed is a holistic perspective that integrates digital platforms, social belonging, experiences of discrimination, global conflicts, and trust in institutions. And one that views young Muslims not as a “risk group,” but as diverse actors in a pluralistic society. 

CAST

  • Honey Deihimi, Head of the Democracy and Civic Engagement Division, Federal Ministry of Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth 
  • Dr. Nader Hotait, Research Associate, DeZIM Institute / Humboldt University of Berlin 
  • Dr. Götz Nordbruch, Co-Executive Director, ufuq.de 
  • Dr. Friedhelm Hartwig, Research Fellow at Modus | zad, Center for Applied Deradicalization Research 


MODERATOR:
Maida Ganević (Advisor for Interreligious Cooperation, BAG RelEx) 

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