Society

Young Islam Conference

Headscarves not an issue for young people

Germany's Young Islam Conference has existed for five years, holding its national congress in Berlin recently. Participants say they are working towards a diverse and tolerant Germany. By Bettina Marx
By Bettina Marx
Sufis in Afghanistan

The forgotten mystics of the Hindu Kush

Sufism has shaped Afghan society and politics for much of the country's history. Today, very few are aware of this legacy. Might the Sufis now provide an important contribution to the stability of the country? By Marian Brehmer
By Marian Brehmer
The Taybeh Vinfest, West Bank

Turning water into wine

Taybeh, the last Christian village in the West Bank, is well-known for its brewery and annual Oktoberfest. Late last year, the family that owns the brewery launched a winery. The first Taybeh wine festival (the Taybeh Vinfest) was held at the end of February. The Khoury family has always claimed that developing the local economy is their way of putting up peaceful resistance and encouraging Palestinians to stay in – or return to – their native home instead of going abroad in search of better opportunities. By Ylenia Gostoli
By Ylenia Gostoli
Islam and religious freedom

Coercion leads to hypocrisy

Those who search the Koran for arguments in favour of intolerance and war will find what they are looking for – if they simply take the words literally and disregard their historical context. The Koran should not be read as a book, but as a discourse, says Halis Albayrak, head of the Institute for Koran Exegesis at the Islamic-Theological Faculty of the University of Ankara
By Halis Albayrak
Conversion of Christians and Muslims in India

Homecoming or forced conversion?

A heated controversy has been triggered in India over a Hindu nationalist campaign to bring Christians and Muslims "back into the Hindu fold". While the Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains silent over the issue, organisations allied to his party continue to pursue the campaign. By Ulrich von Schwerin
By Ulrich von Schwerin
Turkey's mosque-building programme

Does Turkey aspire to the leadership of the Islamic world?

An ambitious international mosque-building programme is seen as the latest step in the Turkish president's ambitious bid to put Turkey at the centre of Muslim world. During his visit to Cuba in February, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan requested that his country be allowed to build a mosque in Havana. At present, 18 major mosques are being built by the Turkish state across the globe from Somalia to Kazakhstan. By Dorian Jones
By Dorian Jones
Raising awareness about Salafism in German schools

Symbolic acts alone are not enough

What is the appropriate way to inform young Muslims in schools about the dangers of Salafism? In co-operation with the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, the association ufuq.de provides teaching materials on Islam, Islamophobia, Islamism and democracy. Gotz Nordbruch provides a personal account of preventive work in this field
By Götz Nordbruch
Interview with Turkish women's rights activist Selime Buyukgoze

A history of resistance

The attempted rape and subsequent murder of the student Ozgecan Aslan alerted the world to violence against women in Turkey. Ceyda Nurtsch spoke with Selime Buyukgoze from the women's rights organisation Mor Cati about women's struggle for self-determination
By Ceyda Nurtsch
Book review: Victoria Schneider's "Are you Charlie?"

A deeply divided country

A very topical and important e-book entitled "Are you Charlie?" was published on 25 February. Its author, Victoria Schneider, offers her impressions of France after the "Charlie Hebdo" attack and paints a picture of a divided society. Claudia Kramatschek read the book
By Claudia Kramatschek
Interview with the Islam scholar Lamya Kaddor

Jihad as a form of youth protest

In her new book "Zum Töten bereit. Warum deutsche Jugendliche in den Dschihad ziehen" (Willing to kill. Why German youths are joining the jihad), religious education teacher and scholar of Islam Lamya Kaddor asks why some young Germans are attracted to the jihadi cause. Claudia Mende spoke to her about the radicalisation of young Germans
By Claudia Mende
Leslee Udwin's controversial documentary "India's daughter"

Indian government ban causes uproar

The Indian government's ban on the broadcasting of "India's Daughter", a documentary about the fatal gang-rape of a woman in New Delhi in 2012, has reopened the debate about the attitude to violence against women in the country. In the wake of this dreadful crime, women and activists are resorting to new measures to create awareness and challenge sexual harassment in the country. By Roma Rajpal Weiß
By Roma Rajpal Weiß
Jihadism in Dagestan

A growing problem in the fight against terrorism

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia are known to be hotbeds of Islamist activity. For some time now, many young, radicalised Muslims have been leaving their homes in Europe and northern Africa to join the ranks of radical Islamist groups such as IS. However, little attention has thus far been paid to the number of jihadis coming out of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. By Kiran Nazish in Afghanistan
By Kiran Nazish