Lea burst into tears the first time the call to prayer reached her ears, instantly realising she had arrived at the truth. Eva arrived after her Christian religion teacher failed, through lengthy and exhausting discussions, to convince her of the doctrine of the Trinity. She embraced Islam altogether, along with her mother, and later her son and daughter.
For Max, the final straw was Gaza and his inability to comprehend how its people endure such loss while remaining steadfast despite everything that has befallen them and their faith. He began searching in the Muslim holy book for answers, asking himself: What shapes their consciousness? How do they hold onto such conviction?
Salman (who changed his name after embracing Islam) will never forget the purity he felt the moment he began reading the Quran, following a long journey of alcohol, drugs, and wandering through the filthy streets of Berlin before entering prison.
Lea, Eva, and Max are only a few examples among the hundreds of “new Muslims” who have recently filled social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
Type the phrase “konvertieren zum Islam” into YouTube and you will find thousands of photos and videos explaining how and why people embraced Islam, and how their lives transformed for the better after making a life-changing decision. The journey is not without obstacles, especially for those who convert while still financially dependent on their parents and living in the family home, in what Germans jokingly call “Hotel Mama”.
Through the stories of Lea, Eva, and Max and the positive impact Islam has had on their lives, one can say that these three have been fortunate, because social media is not free of black sheep.
According to the latest report issued by Germany’s domestic intelligence service, “extremist influencers skilfully use social media to spread their radical ideas among young people, exploiting platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to attract teenagers with fast, simple, and engaging content. These teenagers interact with and share this content without realising they may be committing crimes punishable by law”.
This phenomenon concerns German intelligence, and it also concerns the country’s 2750 mosques and hundreds of Islamic centres, all of which are keen to ensure that young people like Lea, Eva, and Max are not an easy prey for extremists.
A unique study conducted by the specialist organisation Mediendienst Integration shows that the majority of mosques (480) and Islamic centres (more than 100) included in the survey have intensified their use of social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and X in recent years to reach interested audiences, noting that Facebook remains the most widely used platform.
The study concluded that most mosques and centres turned to social media as a communication tool during the coronavirus pandemic, and that most of them now view social media, especially Facebook, positively. At the same time, they complain of limited financial resources, lack of expertise, and insufficient infrastructure.
Despite these challenges, interested individuals like Lea, Eva, and Max can visit the online pages of these mosques and centres to obtain reliable information in German about all matters related to Islam.
Facts and figures
The number of Muslims in Germany is 5.5 million people (nearly half hold German citizenship).
Muslims constitute 6.6 percent of Germany’s total population of 83.5 million, making them the second largest religious group after Christians.
Fifty-two percent are men and forty-eight percent are women.
The average age among Muslims is 32 (compared with the German national average of 44).
Forty-five percent originate from Türkiye, twenty-seven percent from Arab countries, nineteen percent from Southeast Europe, and nine percent from Afghanistan and Iran.
Approximately seventy-five percent are Sunnis, while Shia represent four percent and Alevis eight percent.
“New Muslims”: There are no official statistics on the number of converts to Islam in Germany. Studies estimate the number to be between ten thousand and one hundred thousand. Other sources estimate that between two thousand and four thousand people embrace Islam annually.
Source: The German government’s Islam Conference (Islam-konferenz)
Experts describe the rise in conversions as a new phenomenon, marked by a significant increase in young women and men turning to social media to share their personal experiences and, in some cases, to invite others to begin a journey of self-discovery and search for answers to questions they have only just begun to explore.
So what role does new media play in increasing the attraction of German youth to Islam? What are the reasons behind this shift? Are men more inclined to embrace Islam, or women? Does the war in Gaza have any influence on this trend? And how do the families and social circles of “new Muslims” react to this transformation?
Given that the relationship with Islam is one of the most sensitive and controversial topics in German society and in the entire Western world, Al Jazeera Net sought to examine these questions through the perspectives of two specialists, presenting their views to the German Islamic Centre in Berlin (DMZ).
Professor Felix Körner and researcher Muhammad Mansur Dogan from the Nicholas Cusanus Chair of Religious Studies at Humboldt University in Berlin agree on the role and importance of social media in drawing the attention of younger generations to Islam, but they differ on some details.
Dogan says, “It is noticeable that social media has become a platform for presenting personal and spiritual experiences, especially TikTok, which gives young people the space to share their religious experiences openly, often in a heartfelt and emotional way.”
Although the algorithms, according to Dogan, “tend to prioritise emotion over depth”, he does not wish to undervalue the role of social media, as it “provides some young people with the opportunity to engage for the first time with questions related to the meaning of life, ethics, and society”.
Professor Körner believes that religious transitions occur in both directions. While some find their way to Islam through these platforms, others draw closer to Christianity.
At the same time, Körner argues that using social media as a platform for expressing religious beliefs is “excessive, loud, and unsuitable for deep spiritual transformation, as dealing with religion requires calm, patience, and greater spiritual depth”.
The specialist sociology website Sozialwissenschaft ranks the role of social media and influencers in increasing interest among youth in embracing Islam as the third most significant factor.
The website notes that a platform like TikTok presents Islam to young people as a modern lifestyle and answers their daily questions in a youthful and accessible manner.
However, TikTok also highlights other motivations driving young Germans toward Islam, such as the search for meaning, belonging, and a unifying identity, according to Sozialwissenschaft.
Every person has a story
What do the individuals themselves say about their personal experiences with this life-changing decision? Each person interviewed by Al Jazeera Net for this investigation has a story unlike any other.
For Amira (S.) from the German Islamic Centre (DMZ), the starting point was the Bosnian War. “I was searching for a higher purpose and deeper values,” she said. “The war had caused me to lose all the values I grew up with, and I found in Islam new meanings that granted me stability.”
Amina (R.) found her path to Islam through travel. “The way Egyptians practise their faith, their simplicity, and their kindness were a turning point for me. These experiences changed my view of Islam and Muslims.” She decided to embrace Islam during a visit to Cairo and proudly recounts pronouncing the shahada in front of the former Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Sheikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi.
Iman Andrea Reimann, former director and current spokesperson of the German Islamic Centre, was born near Berlin to a priest father and spent half her life in the church. She describes her attachment to the house of worship as a feeling of being at home rather than merely a place for prayer.
Reimann says she observed during adolescence how Turkish, Arab, and Bosnian girls in her neighbourhood and school interacted with their religion, and how some Turkish girls returned from summer holidays wearing the hijab.
“Some things appealed to me and others did not,” she explains. But the turning point came when she found a book about death and religious practices linked to one of God’s promises in Islam.
“I read that a person is questioned in the grave about their Lord and their deeds. This pushed me into deep reflection and led me to begin searching for answers, which I ultimately found in Islam. This became a turning point in my relationship with religion as a whole.”
From her long experience at the German Islamic Centre, Reimann says that many people find in Islam something missing in their previous lives: clear spirituality that guides their daily routine, a new community that offers belonging and structure, and a worldview that grants meaning while still allowing room for personal growth.
She adds, “Young people seek a community that embraces them, whether in sports clubs or social centres, and practising rituals in the mosque provides a healthy balance in a noisy environment.”
A holistic path and a clear moral framework
Mustafa Dogan says, “Many feel that Islam offers a unique sense of wholeness.” Islam, he explains, gives individuals the opportunity for spiritual practice while also setting out a clear moral path and, above all, providing a strong sense of belonging. “This gives them stability in a society marked by uncertainty, fragmentation, and fatigue.”
From his experience with “new Muslims”, some told him they “feel for the first time the direct impact of Islam on their daily lives”, which he considers “a powerful motivator”. They are not searching for a new identity, he explains, but for internal harmony — a life in which thought, emotion, and behaviour align. Islam attracts them because it brings these elements together at once.
Körner adds other reasons, some related to the church and others to individuals themselves. Many Germans, he says, view churches as overly institutionalised, making them appear like government offices. He often hears people say, “The churches are like bureaucratic agencies.”
He also notes that some individuals seek simple, comprehensive answers, and Islam offers this kind of clarity.
The war in Gaza
Researchers did not only observe increased interest in Islam among German youth after Israel’s war on Gaza; every Islamic centre visited for this investigation confirmed this trend, linking it to the patience of the people of Gaza and their steadfastness since the beginning of the genocide.
Dogan affirms this and says he has seen the influence of the Gaza war through his interactions with students and his participation in interfaith dialogue projects. However, he also stresses that interest in Islam cannot be reduced to political events alone, but stems from young people’s search for psychological and spiritual grounding in an increasingly unstable world.
Dogan believes Islam offers many seekers a framework in which spirituality, ethical values, and social responsibility intersect, far from superficial slogans or political rhetoric. He notes that the motivation is often an authentic inner search, not a political stance.
Körner agrees, adding that the harsh images arriving from Gaza prompt many to rethink questions of justice and human values. However, he insists that violence cannot be associated with a particular religion or people.
“True, solidarity with Gaza moves some individuals toward greater religiosity,” he adds, “but genuine hope emerges only when this shift comes from understanding the suffering of others.”
Dogan returns to the role of social media, noting that young people, raised in a deeply interconnected world, are profoundly affected by what they see online — images of suffering, injustice, and also stories of compassion. These stimulate deep questions about responsibility, mercy, and justice.
“Many young people ask: What is the meaning of justice?” he says. “In such moments, they seek a language that goes beyond political discourse, and Islam emerges as a perspective that places solidarity and empathy at its core.”
Spokeswoman Reimann agrees with the researchers, saying that the Gaza war “encourages people to speak more about Islam”, but she stresses that embracing Islam is “a deeper and longer journey, one in which a person seeks answers to: Who am I? What gives my life meaning? How should I live?”.
Associating Islam with isolation and extremism
The very idea of converting to Islam is not easy in a society where most people belong to Protestant or Catholic churches, even though German society is not among Europe’s most rigidly religious.
Men enjoy the relative freedom of not having to publicly display their religious identity, but for new Muslim women, wearing the hijab subjects them to uncomfortable questions from family, friends, and colleagues.
Omniya (R.) feels deep sadness because her brother has not spoken a single word to her since she embraced Islam. Still, she sacrificed that relationship for what she describes as “choosing the right path”. Reimann, who grew up in a household centred around the church, says the beginning was difficult not only with her family but also at work and among friends.
What helped her overcome this were knowledge and learning. She fortified herself with deeper understanding of Islam, enabling her to offer logical and convincing answers to the many curious questions around her. Knowledge, she says, was the foundation for managing these conversations effectively.
Experts and observers identify three main environments shaping reactions to conversion: family, school, and society — including state authorities.
Some families respond positively, especially when they see their children’s lives improving. Others reject the transformation entirely, prompting some new Muslims to hide their conversion. The same applies to schools and broader society.
“The issue is not rejection of the religion itself,” Dogan explains, “but rather the stereotypes portrayed by the media, which associate Islam with isolation and extremism.”
While he considers such fears understandable, he says they are largely unwarranted, because most young people who embrace Islam do so with conscious and peaceful intentions.
Dogan advises parents to engage in open dialogue with their children, as this reduces tension and turns conversations about faith into opportunities for connection. He also stresses the importance of creating safe spaces for discussions free of prejudice.
Körner also advises parents not to escalate conflicts with their children, while warning them not to ignore signs of isolation. “If communication becomes difficult, professional help may be necessary. This is not a flaw, but the right step to protect both the individual and the family.”
Women or men?
Some studies suggest that women embrace Islam in Germany more than men, though reliable numbers are unavailable.
This also applies to the total number of new Muslims in Germany: the government provides no official data, leaving researchers to rely on studies and media estimates, which place the number between ten thousand and one hundred thousand. Some sources suggest that between two thousand and four thousand people embrace Islam annually.
Dr Mustafa Dogan says that numerically, “it appears that the number of women converting to Islam is greater than that of men, but in my view, this is less important than the stories and motivations behind the decision. Whether the person is male or female, both often seek meaning and values in life.”
From his experience, “women tend to describe their spiritual and personal experiences in detail, while men often focus on rational arguments — but this is not a fixed rule.”
What matters most is that embracing Islam is rarely a spontaneous decision. It is usually a long process and a continuous struggle with difficult questions. In a society where religion is viewed as a private matter, such a step is extremely courageous — especially because women cannot easily conceal it.
