How Violence Affects Places and Communities
Extremism, radicalization, and social cohesion are among the cross-cutting research themes at PRIF. Since fall 2020, the RADIS transfer project has supported a nationwide network of research projects addressing various facets of Islamism. The project’s regular funding phase ended in 2025. A key focus of RADIS has been the transfer of findings to policy, practice, and the public sphere. In this regard, the RADIS web talk series was a successful and popular format. In November 2025, the series began its third round. This time, the focus was on places, people, and communities affected by extremist attacks. By doing so, the series tied into current social debates and turned its attention to the consequences of extremist and racist violence beyond the events themselves.
In 2024, the social consequences of extremist violence were brought into sharp focus. There were two jihadist attacks in Mannheim and Solingen, in which four people were killed, and several were injured. Additionally, security authorities officially thwarted five jihadist attacks. These attacks claimed lives, permanently shook many people’s sense of security, and sparked intense national debates. Issues of migration, internal security, and social cohesion once again became the focus of increasingly polarized public discourse. These debates were often emotional and heated, and right-wing populist actors frequently exploited them to stir up sentiment against marginalized groups and drive social division.
A look at the recent history of violence in Germany and beyond shows that Islamist violence is not the only major threat to our society's cohesion. Far-right, racist, and antisemitic attacks illustrate how misanthropic ideologies can penetrate society, endangering individuals' safety and peaceful coexistence, and undermine trust in democratic institutions. Such acts of violence have an impact that extends far beyond the moment the crime is committed. In the aftermath of attacks, polarization can take hold, fostering radicalization and misanthropy. Extremist violence not only affects physical places but also but impacts vulnerable social spaces, reduces safe spaces for minorities, reduces social empathy, and allows misanthropic ideologies to flourish.
This is particularly evident in cases of violence with vague or ambiguous motives. One example is the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market in 2024. Due to the perpetrator’s immigrant background, speculation arose immediately after the attack about a possible Islamist motive. At the same time, it came to light that the man frequented Islamophobic and conspiracy theory-driven online forums, though he did not belong to any organized far-right group. Such acts, which cannot be clearly attributed to an established extremist milieu, open up spaces for interpretation and exploitation by political and ideological actors. Following the attack, there was an increase in far-right assaults and acts of violence against individuals perceived as migrants. At the same time, Salafist and Islamist actors seized upon the event to legitimize their narratives and call for rejection of the supposedly Islamophobic mainstream society.
Projects
RADIS is supporting twelve projects under the BMFTR funding program, “Social Causes and Effects of Radical Islam in Germany and Europe.” These projects investigate the causes of radicalization, effective prevention strategies, and the impact of Islamism on society and associated discourse.
A series of web talks in the spring of 2025 focused on these dynamics, including rising antisemitism in Germany, the role of the media, and gaming spaces as environments that foster radicalization. Another series in November turned its attention to the “aftermath”, that is, the affected locations and communities.
The focus was on exchange and knowledge transfer, particularly to practice. Topics were explored that have been underrepresented thus far but are of great importance, such as the culture of remembrance, support for those affected, trauma recovery, and the role of the media after acts of extremist violence. Linked to this was the question of how societies can address ideological violence, uncertainty, and division while strengthening resilience and cohesion simultaneously. This can only be achieved through a holistic, interdisciplinary approach. The web talk series promoted this approach by uniting a diverse group of participants from local governments, associations, educational initiatives, and security agencies. It also facilitated the exchange of ideas and strategies for addressing violence in affected places.
RADIS Web Talks
The first series of web talks, which began in 2023, focused on the role of schools in the context of radicalization and prevention. Through an exchange of ideas between researchers and practitioners in the field of prevention, current challenges, opportunities, and needs in everyday school life were addressed. The goal was to share practical insights, strengthen dialogue, and provide impetus for effective prevention work.
The second series examined the transformation of scenes and structures. It examined how Islamist actors navigate between digital spaces and analog contexts, as well as the consequences for prevention work and civil society. The series also addressed gender relations and factors such as loneliness in radicalization processes. The series combined academic perspectives with those of civil society and practitioners.
All topics and further information on the web talk series, “Affected Places: Local Strategies for Addressing Islamist and Racist Violence,” are available online.
Interview with Sina Tultschinetski
Sina Tultschinetski co-leads the RADIS transfer project with Prof. Dr. Julian Junk in the Research Department Transnational at PRIF. Her work focuses on extremism and radicalization in Germany and Europe.
The first funding phase of RADIS is coming to an end. The application for the second phase is underway. Over the past five years, the project has produced an enormous amount of output, including lecture and blog series, conferences and expert discussions, knowledge transfer events, videos, resource guides, the anthology, “Islamismus als gesellschaftliche Herausforderung“ (Islamism as a Societal Challenge). There is, of course, also the web talk series. Now is the time to reflect on the past and look to the future. Sina Tultschinetski provides an inside look at the project consortium and explains the key content areas, challenges, and perspectives currently shaping RADIS's work.
What were RADIS's key thematic priorities in 2025, and how has its focus changed in the last five years?
Over the past year, we at RADIS have observed a significant shift in the social climate. Since October 7, 2023—the date of the attack by the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza—we have witnessed an increase in antisemitic sentiments and criminal acts, including those originating from Islamist circles. Notably, Islamist preachers with significant reach and influence are exploiting the suffering of the Palestinian civilian population to spread antisemitic narratives. This creates significant pressure to take sides, further fueling polarizing dynamics. The world is divided—often with reference to antisemitic conspiracy theories—into seemingly clear-cut, dichotomous camps. This polarization is evident in numerous crimes, attacks, and attempted attacks classified as Islamist in German-speaking countries and internationally. As a result, antisemitic, racist, and anti-Muslim sentiments have continued to rise. Over the past five years, we have also observed shifts in radicalization processes themselves. Radicalization increasingly affects younger age groups and is shifting into digital spaces. Platforms such as TikTok, as well as gaming-related platforms and other alternative social communication spaces, are playing a growing role in the ideologization and rapid spread of extremist narratives.
What shifts in focus or changes in emphasis have these developments brought about at RADIS?
For us, they have led to a stronger focus on the societal consequences of extremist attacks, particularly with regard to the sociocultural spaces and people directly affected. Initially, the sociopolitical debates that arise after such acts—and which are reflected in media coverage and public discourse—take center stage for many. However, when this phase of intense attention subsides, the long-term effects are often overlooked. Yet attacks profoundly impact the lives of those affected, including individuals, families, and communities. They also alter the social fabric of the places where they occurred. Self-organized groups and victim initiatives, such as the “February 19 Initiative,” play an important role here. They facilitate healing, give those affected a voice, and contribute to stabilizing and strengthening shaken communities. This perspective has received comparatively little attention in our work to date. For a long time, the focus has been more on academic discourse, sociopolitical analyses, and prevention and intervention strategies. Going forward, however, we believe it is equally important to ask more about what happens “afterward”: What happens after an attack—and how do these experiences impact society, both in the areas directly affected and beyond?
“Radicalization increasingly affects younger age groups and is shifting into digital spaces. Platforms such as TikTok, as well as gaming-related platforms and other alternative social communication spaces, are playing a growing role in the ideologization and rapid spread of extremist narratives.”
Let's take a look into the crystal ball. What direction might RADIS (or research on Islamism more broadly) evolve in, and what thematic priorities are emerging for the coming years? This is particularly relevant given that the current funding line is coming to an end, and the call for proposals for the new funding line is currently in the selection process.
Of course, it is difficult to make a clear forecast in such a dynamic field. However, some developments seem to be emerging that can be derived from the findings of the Research Group Radicalization, Terrorism, and Extremism Prevention at PRIF and the RADIS research network:
-
Research will likely continue to focus intensely on the intersection of Islamism and its adoption by various subcultures. Areas such as gaming, sports, and pop-culture online formats are becoming increasingly popular venues for Islamist proselytizing. The goal is to normalize and integrate their content into the social mainstream. Coded language is often used, particularly in subcultural spaces. Prevention efforts must address this accordingly. Prevention actors must understand and adapt to subcultural codes and practices and be able to credibly and “naturally” navigate these spaces. This will require research.
-
In this context, we observe processes and ambiguities that erode long-held certainties about dynamics and ideological guidelines. This gives rise to new, cross-phenomenal alliances. It becomes apparent that the ideological dividing lines that were once considered clear-cut are now blurred. This enables new alliances to form around shared perceptions of an enemy. Modernity and progressiveness, in particular, are rejected, and their supposed supporters are declared antagonists. This presents new analytical and practical challenges for research and prevention.
-
The question arises: what exactly is this cross-phenomenal projection surface that unites ideologies that actually oppose one another? The short answer is: Jewish life. An in-depth examination of antisemitism in Islamist ideologies is therefore essential. Researchers have long observed—and increasingly so in recent years—that antisemitism and antisemitic conspiracy theories often serve as bridging narratives, connecting different Islamist and other extremist groups and enabling them to form coalitions. Overall, we see the task of Islamism research as meeting basic scientific standards while responding openly to changing dynamics. This includes seriously considering social shifts, such as the changed climate since October 7, 2023, and integrating them early on into research, analysis, and knowledge transfer.
The new BMFTR funding line, “Islamism: Impacts, Counterstrategies, and Prevention Measures,” launching in 2026, will also play a role in this regard. Research must closely follow current phenomenological developments. Furthermore, there must be a steady, flexible, and comprehensible transfer of findings into the respective civil, political, and governmental spheres. (lwi)
-
“Going forward, however, we believe it is equally important to ask more about what happens “afterward”: What happens after an attack—and how do these experiences impact society, both in the areas directly affected and beyond?”
RADIS Anthology
The anthology Islamism as a Social Challenge: Causes, Effects, and Options for Action, published by Springer (VS), presents the research findings of the RADIS network. From 2020 to 2025, the network examined the phenomenon of Islamism from various perspectives. It focuses on the causes of radicalization, social interactions, prevention strategies, and political, media, and civil society discourses. The contributions span numerous disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. Consequently, this volume provides valuable insights for academia and practitioners in the fields of Islamism and radicalization.
Each of the RADIS network's 12 projects are represented in the volume with a contribution.
The volume is available as an e-book and in paperback and is currently being translated into English for an international audience.
Additionally, free summaries of the volume are available in German, Arabic, English, French, and Turkish.
