Essays
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The Reform Islam debateIslam doesn′t need a Martin Luther!
Calls for an Islamic Reformation are issued in the wake of every Islamist act of terrorism. But Muslims don't need a Martin Luther. What is needed is a reconciliation of Islam with the constitutional state, says Loay Mudhoon
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Europe′s response to the refugee crisis"Ugly, feckless and dysfunctional"
A failure to appreciate the potential scale of the problem and a marked lack of interest in addressing the refugee question at a European level, meant that Europe′s heads of state were in utter disarray when the migration tsunami hit last September. Unfortunately little appears to have changed since. An opinion piece by Ana Palacio, former Spanish foreign minister
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Jan Bohmermann's BE DEUTSCHThe danger of being earnest
Forever with his finger on the pulse, Jan Bohmermann, the ″enfant terrible″ of Germany′s satirists, has released a video that reveals a lot – and arguably, more than he realises. By William Glucroft
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150th anniversary of Friedrich Ruckert′s deathForget Goethe, read Ruckert
One of Germany′s greatest poets died 150 years ago – and today, hardly anyone is familiar with him. But all those years ago, Friedrich Ruckert knew how to integrate refugees successfully. By Christoph Meyer
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Combatting violent extremismCould Sufi Islam be the cure-all?
The world is in urgent need of a ″soft″ strategy when it comes to fighting radical Islamist ideology. Enter Sufi Islam which, argues Pakistan academic Syed Qamar Afzal Rizvi, can help us brave the challenges of curbing fanaticism, fundamentalism and violent extremism
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The Syrian uprising five years onAlive and kicking
After five years of war, violence and endless suffering, Syrian civil society is sending a clear message to Geneva: "We will not stop until Assad is gone." Assad, however, has no intention of relinquishing power, invoking of all things the wishes of the Syrian people. Kristin Helberg analyses the situation
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Right-wing populism in EuropeTake the AfD seriously – or you'll end up like us
For a long time France ignored the Front National – now it's the nation's strongest party. Germany should not repeat this mistake in its dealings with the AfD. Commentary by Christophe Bourdoiseau, German correspondent for the French daily "Le Parisien"
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Culture and education in the Islamic worldThe lonely Arab crowd
The cultural and educational turbulence within the Arab world is due – at least in part – to the absence of a contemporary home-grown intellectual tradition capable of providing societies with an inner compass based on local values and modern perspectives. An essay by Sami Mahroum
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Five years of Arab SpringThe butterfly effect
It was the flap of a butterfly wing that was to trigger a storm in Europe. Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation in 2010 sent a clear signal: things were about to change. Despite many setbacks, the impact of this message is still being felt. By Karim El-Gawhary
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Repression and legitimation in EgyptThe world as Sisi sees it
A policy formula that only recognises two distinctions – those who are "for the regime" and those who are "against the regime", with the latter arguably grouped under the heading "potential terrorists" – is leading to widespread human rights violations and the persecution of those who hold different political views. A commentary by Thomas Demmelhuber