Politics

The Image of Pakistan in Western Media

Too Little Research, too Many Clichés

Especially since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the German media have presented a distorted view of Pakistan. Much of the reporting reveals that reporters often take a prejudicially selective view. An analysis by Thomas Baerthlein
Politics and Oil in Azerbaijan

The Magic of Numbers

Billions of dollars from the oil industry is consolidating the power of authoritarian president Ilham Aliyev in Azerbaijan and endangering the cease-fire with Armenia. Tobias Asmuth reports
Violence in Thailand's Southern Provinces

Delicate Signs of Change

Thailand's southern largely Muslim provinces face almost daily bloodshed in insurgent attacks that have escalated since 2004. Now the Thai Government and security forces are hoping to win over local support through special programs and financial assistance. Ron Corben reports
Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations"

The Precarious Concept of the "Other"

It was ten years ago that Samuel Huntington published his seminal "Clash of Civilizations" monograph. The term has since become a media buzzword, and Sherif Hamdy returns to it to examine the validity of Huntington's concept
Commentary Timothy Garton Ash

What Young British Muslims Say Can Be Shocking – Some of It Is Also True

In a recently conducted poll, only half the British Muslims questioned said they thought of Britain as "my country". In his commentary, Timothy Garton Ash looks at why many British Muslims feel increasingly alienated from the country they live in
Muslim, Male, Young

The Influence of Radicalism

The majority of Muslim youths in Germany feel integrated. Nevertheless, several political and social factors have led to increasing alienation. Martina Sabra seeks answers
Regional Trade in the Arab World

Is Protectionism Obsolete?

Domestic trade among the Arab states has not made much progress yet. Many politicians and independent businesspeople hope that the ratification of the Agadir Agreement with the EU will improve the situation. By Frederik Richter
Terrorist Plot in Britain

Trying to Understand the Roots of Terrorism

The people in the West have allowed themselves to be guided by the rallying cries from Washington too much and have believed that terrorism can be conquered with military means. A commentary by Peter Philip
Commentary Peter Philipp

Terror Doesn't Serve Anyone

It is not a lack of affluence, but a lack of knowledge that draws many people into the spell of ideological pied pipers. But the terrorist attacks also hurt those for whom they are supposedly carried out. A commentary by Peter Philipp
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Marks One Year as President

The Year of Living Dangerously

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn into office on August 3, 2005. One year on, Peter Philipp looks back on Ahmadinejad's impact on his country and on the wider international community.
Interview with Mohammad Ehsan Zia

"Afghanistan Must Sit in the Driver's Seat"

So far, efforts to reduce opium poppy cultivation and to promote alternative crops in Afghanistan have hardly borne fruit. Mohammad Ehsan Zia, Minister for Development of Afghanistan, elaborates on how to improve the situation.
Shireen Hunter

Islam in Russia

Russia's Muslim community has been largely viewed through the prism of the Chechen war, despite its diversity reflecting the trajectory of both Islam's spread in Russia and Russia's imperial expansion into the Muslim lands. By Shireen Hunter