Mr. Kayser, Islamist attacks have been thwarted in Hamburg, Hagen and Castrop-Rauxel in recent months. Is this a sign that the danger posed by Islamism is growing again?
Helene Bubrowski
Political correspondent in Berlin.
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Reiner Burger
Political correspondent in North Rhine-Westphalia.
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First of all, it is a sign that the security authorities continue to keep a close eye on the persistently high threat posed by Islamist terrorism. We currently see two dangers. On the one hand, there is the danger that continues to emanate from individual regional offshoots of the "Islamic State". They are still propagating coordinated attacks in the West and are trying to build structures here. In particular, there is the terrorist group Khorasan Province, which has a very strong foundation in Afghanistan and is active as far away as Europe. The other danger arises from the spread of Islamist ideology via the Internet, such as short spots on Tiktok. We are also increasingly observing proselytizing activities by extremist Salafists who are trying to spread their Islamist ideas.
Has the influence of the "Islamic State" diminished after the collapse of the caliphate?
Yes, the structures are weakened because the "Islamic State" in Iraq and Syria has been pushed back. But we also see that its media work is still very active. There is the possibility of direct communication via messenger services, which can also be used to provide very specific instructions for a terrorist attack. For example, the teenager who planned an attack on the synagogue in Hagen in 2021 has been instructed.
In the case of the attacker from the Duisburg gym, the question arises as to his mental state. Extremist or psychopath – is it always so clear to distinguish between them?
No. This is a topic to which the security authorities have rightly been devoting more attention for several years. We see an increasing interaction between extremist ideology and psychological instability. This results in particular dangers, because a person can become more and more unpredictable, it is increasingly difficult to say if and when he or she might strike out – in psychological delusion, strengthened by an extremist ideology. It's hard to say what ultimately triggers the act. In order to prevent violence, it is important to become aware of these people at an early stage.
Is that possible?
Security authorities only have an approach when the tendency to violence or radicalization in some form becomes apparent. When people completely isolate themselves, there are no leading indicators. However, the drift into extremism is usually caused by the fact that people are not integrated into the social fabric. A lack of prospects can develop into a hatred of society, which makes it compatible with extremist ideologies.
The number of right-wing extremists is declining in North Rhine-Westphalia. Do you nevertheless share the position of the President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Thomas Haldenwang, that right-wing extremism poses the greatest threat to our democratic, liberal order?