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"Islam does give us leeway to think"

Muslim and gay? Most scholars consider homosexual acts unlawful – not so Muhsin Hendricks, who says that the Koran does not say that homosexuality is a sin. Jannis Hagmann spoke to the South African imam about Islam, homosexuality and Koranic interpretation

A silent revolution

While it is a well-known fact that LGBT people face discrimination and violence in Muslim and Arab countries, it is not quite as well known that LGBT people seeking asylum in the West also face considerable difficulties and in some cases gross insensitivity. Some of those who have been granted asylum are now using the Internet to try and foster tolerance in their native countries. By Joseph Mayton

The dual consciousness of Muslims

Muslims today can no longer think, or ultimately exist, outside the widespread lore about Islam, which links them to discussions about terror, violence and the separation of religion and society. They can never be free of the neverending stream of projections about Islam. An essay by Farid Hafez

Protected by the German constitution

The situation in Germany is different to that in Austria: Germany lacks the conditions to pass a Law on Islam. Nevertheless, as Daniel Deckers points out, the German constitution, known as the Basic Law, provides a framework for all religions and already offers Muslims many freedoms – more than they have in countries where Islam shapes the legal system

When Art Becomes a Sin

Indonesian artist Agus Suwage appears to have involuntarily put his country's values to the test. Is his artistic installation pornographic or are critics just oversensitive? The stakes for Indonesian society are high: freedom of expression or religiously justified censorship? Christina Schott reports

March for Diversity

Human Rights Groups join the protest of Indonesian women against a new tough anti-pornography bill – the opposition to what many in Indonesia call the "Talibanization" of society is strong. Edith Koesoemawiria reports

The Arab world has no answers

As challenges such as population growth and the end of the fossil fuel era loom large, not a single Arab regime is in a position to meet them. It is now incumbent upon Europe to encourage a response. Commentary by Rainer Hermann

The key to change

Occasionally periods of social regression and progressive developments occur simultaneously. After all, among the many catastrophic reports emerging from the Arab world there are also a few glimmers of hope – for women. Report by Mey Dudin

Young Arab men fight for women′s rights

Fifteen years after Security Council Resolution 1325 called on all parties to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, such violence remains widespread throughout the Arab world. The good news is that ever more young Arab men are joining women′s rights organisations. By Katja Dombrowski

The tug-of-war over identity

In July of this year the Algerian cabinet passed a controversial law allowing only those with ″exclusive Algerian nationality″ to hold high office. Report by Federica Zoja