Society

Interview with Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd

For a Plurality of Koranic Interpretations

One year ago, Nasr Hamid Abu Zaid, Egyptian Koranic thinker and one of the leading liberal theologians in Islam, died prematurely at the age of 56. In one of his last interview with Yoginder Sikand, he speaks about his work and reflects on his efforts to promote a humanistic reading of the Islamic tradition
By Yoginder Sikand
Portrait of Humaira Ameer Rasuli

''It's Not Easy Being an Afghan Woman''

She may laugh a lot, but Humaira Ameer Rasuli lives dangerously. The Afghan human rights activist speaks out in a country where women are still excluded from the development process. By Sandra Petersmann
By Sandra Petersmann
Migration in Germany

Football Can Contribute to Integration

Football in Germany is a powerful force in helping to integrate young people with an immigrant background. This is particularly the case for girl football players. Yet, there is still an intercultural deficit on the football field. Olivia Fritz reports
By Olivia Fritz
Interview with Sami Kilani

''The Symbol of Resistance Is Not the Bullet!''

The Deacon of the Faculty for Education at the An Najah University in Nablus, Sami Kilani, is among the most influential advocates of non-violence in the Arab world. He is optimistic that the peaceful form of protest conducted in Tunisia and Egypt is an example that will be followed in other Arab countries
By Mona Naggar
Friday Protests in the Arab World

More than Religious Symbolism

As the central rallying day of the week in ongoing Arab revolutions, Friday should not be reduced to its religious dimension and understood in a way that might give the uprisings an Islamic background, says the Libyan writer Mustafa Fetouri in this commentary
By Mustafa Fetouri
Islamic Fashion

Entrepreneurial Muslim Women Make Modest Dress Mainstream

Fashion-conscious young Muslim women are well aware that in western societies, covering up is often considered more scandalous than baring all. Jane Paulick reports
By Jane Paulick
Hamed Abdel-Samad: The Downfall of the Islamic World

A Blatant Lack of Objectivity

In his new book, the Egyptian-German author Hamed Abdel Samad claims that the collapse of Islam and Arab culture is inevitable. Christian Horbach read the book and feels that the author lacks objectivity
By Christian Horbach
The Mission in Christianity and Islam

The Claim to Truth in a Plural Society

Proselytising means in part to impose one's faith on others. In a book of collected essays Muslim and Christian theologians explore together how the profession of faith can be lived out appropriately in today's world. By Susanne Kappe
By Susanne Kappe
Salman Rushdie and "The Satanic Verses"

The Complicated Craft of Enlightenment

It has been twenty years since Ayatollah Khomeini issued the fatwa on Salman Rushdie. The author of The Satanic Verses still takes a critical stance on religion, yet he is also a vocal protester against discrimination of Muslims. By Lewis Gropp
By Lewis Gropp
Mohamed Aziz Lahbabi's 'Muslim Personalism'

Draft of an Islamic Anthropology

The idea of the human being as an individual personality bears the deep stamp of the Christian religion and European culture. For Muslims, this way of thinking is not a matter of course. Moroccan philosopher Mohamed Aziz Lahbabi interpreted the concept of the person from the perspective of Islamic sources, generating a dialogue between the Muslim image of man and that of Western anthropologies. An interview with Markus Kneer, expert on Lahbabi's philosophy
By Rachid Boutayeb
Ex-MTV Presenter Kristiane Backer

In Search of Tolerant Islam

As a presenter for MTV, Kristiane Backer was an icon of popular culture. In her book Islam as a Way of the Heart she goes to the heart of her religion to demonstrate that a tolerant, open Islam grounded in the Koran and Islamic source materials does indeed exist. Lewis Gropp has this review
By Kristiane Backer
The Integration Myth

A Correction

According to Confucius, every good government should start by 'rectifying terms'. It would therefore seem to be a good idea to clarify the term 'integration' and debunk the six great myths about it. An analysis by Rainer Oechslen
By Rainer Oechslen