Society

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
Islamic Children's Books

Integration through Early Reading

Until now, there were no books for Muslim children in Germany, and this is why Ahmad Milad Karimi founded his own publishing house. In this interview with Claudia Mende, he explains how he aims to convey a tolerant image of Islam through his books
By Claudia Mende
Islam in Ireland

''The Kids Are Good Now''

Up until the 1990s there was virtually no immigration to Ireland. However, the economic boom of the "Celtic Tiger" led to a huge increase in the number of Muslim professionals in the country. Have Ireland's Muslim communities been influenced by the financial crisis? Joseph Burke takes a look
By Joseph Burke
The Press in Syria

Independent Media as Enemies of the System

Syria always ranks close to the bottom of the Press Freedom Index published annually by the organisation "Reporters Without Borders". And as Mona Naggar reports, the Ba'ath regime has stepped up censorship and persecution in response to recent protests in the country
By Mona Naggar
Egypt's Christian Minority

Copts Fear for the Future

Egypt's Coptic minority has long claimed it suffers discrimination in the Muslim-majority country. Many had hoped that would change in the wake of the revolution, but many fear a return of the old ways. By Magdalena Suerbaum
By Magdalena Suerbaum
Nader Hashemi and Danny Postel's ''The People Reloaded''

The Green Movement and the Struggle for Iran's Future

With their anthology on Iran's Green Movement, Nader Hashemi and Danny Postel provide an intellectual and political road map to the country's largest political protest since the 1979 revolution. Ramin Jahanbegloo introduces "The People Reloaded"
By Ramin Jahanbegloo
On the Death of Juliano Mer-Khamis

100 Percent Juliano

The murdered theatre director and artist Juliano Mer-Khamis spent his life walking on a tightrope. A traitor to some, while a visionary to others – and an exception on the Israeli as well as the Palestinian side. An obituary by Stephanie Doetzer
By Stephanie Doetzer
Indonesia's Cultural Heritage

Eternal Knowledge

Precious Javanese manuscripts are being restored and digitised through the combined efforts of a team of German and Indonesian scholars to ensure their preservation for future generations. By Anett Keller
The German Islam Scholar Lamya Kaddor

Why I as a Muslim Woman Don't Wear a Headscarf

Does the Koran really demand that women wear headscarves? Or is it mainly older men who claim they can decide how women should dress – with no theological foundation whatsoever? For the Islam scholar Lamya Kaddor, there is no question about it: the headscarf is obsolete
By Lamya Kaddor