Society

Tension in Bangladesh

Bangladeshi Islamists Demand Blasphemy Law

Earlier this month, hundreds of extremely religious Muslims in Bangladesh took to the streets, calling for a new law that would include the death penalty for blasphemy. By Roma Rajpal und Rachel Yasmin Baig
Germany's Turkish Community and the Istanbul Protests

Divided Community

Germany's Turkish community is keeping a close eye on events in Istanbul. Many hope the young people in Taksim Square will prevail. Others are saying nothing. By Naomi Conrad
By Naomi Conrad
Documentary on Integration Courses in Germany

How to Become a German

Is it possible to learn integration? Germany thinks so. Since 2005, special courses have been helping immigrants become familiar with German language and culture. But do they really work? A Berlin film-maker wanted to find out. Melanie Lachner watched the resulting documentary
By Melanie Lachner
Gezi Protests in Turkey

A Libertarian and Unifying Movement

Parallels have been drawn between the Gezi movement, the Arab Spring and some Occupy movements in Europe. Nilüfer Göle looks at the causes of the Gezi protests and some of the protester's demands
By Nilüfer Göle
Eco-Islam Pioneer Fazlun Khalid

''Allah Does Not Love the Wasters''

It's not enough to simply pray for a better environment, you have to stand up and take action, says Fazlun Khalid, one of the world's leading eco-theologians. He believes religion can help save the planet. Interview by Franziska Badenschier
By Franziska Badenschier
Interview with the Lebanese Artist Ghazi Kahwaji

''I Believe that Several Paths Lead to God''

The Lebanese artist and writer Ghazi Kahwaji sees the revival of Mediterranean humanism as a basis for intercultural dialogue between Arab and European societies. An interview by Aladdin Sarhan
By Aladdin Sarhan
Tunisia's Economic Crisis

The Decline of the Middle Class

More than two years have passed since the start of the so-called "Arab Spring" in Tunisia. What began as a fight for social justice became an ideological tug-of-war between Islamists and secular forces. But while the elite engage in theoretical debate, the economic crisis deepens. Katharina Pfannkuch reports
By Katharina Pfannkuch
Democracy and Human Rights in Indonesia

A Blocked Constitutional State

The country with the world's biggest Muslim population has now experienced 15 years of democracy. But the political euphoria of the Indonesian "Reformasi" movement has long since given way to disenchantment. Ex-dictator Suharto's old boy network is still very much in place, and radical Islam is on the rise. By Christina Schott
By Christina Schott
Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

Fighting for Survival

There are now more than half a million refugees from the Syrian civil war in Lebanon, seeking shelter with families, in rented apartments and on construction sites, in ruins and homemade tents, in communal accommodation and occasionally in transit camps. Susanne Schmelter reports
By Susanne Schmelter
Islamophobia

Evidence Does Not Support Fears of Islam in the West

Why has a dichotomy persisted between Muslim and Western societies despite the bulk of academic research dispelling any notion of incompatibility? Director of the Islam in the West program at Harvard University Jocelyne Cesari explains
By Jocelyne Cesari
German Wehrmacht Document on Islam

Ideological Vacuum

If it were not for the fact that the author of a code of conduct for Wehrmacht officers in Muslim countries – the army doctor Ernst Rodenwaldt – was a proven Nazi sympathiser, those in today's anti-Islamic milieu would most certainly hold him for a Muslim sympathizer. Stefan Weidner on an unusual historical manuscript
By Stefan Weidner
Dilwar Hussain on Reform Islam

Going beyond Literal Interpretation

In order to retain the values of the Koran, one must go beyond the literal meaning of the text, says British Islam scholar Dilwar Hussain. Instead, Muslims should try to interpret the dynamic of change of early Islam and apply that to modern times and conditions. An interview by Jan Kuhlmann