Society

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
Modern-day Orientalism

Great How They Keep Things Clean and Tidy!

Europe's astonished reaction to the Arab Spring shows the extent to which we are still influenced by images of the strange and unfamiliar Orient. An essay by Karin Gothe
By Karin Gothe
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
Hotline for Islamists

Unsuccessful Anti-Terrorism Number

It may sound paradoxical, but Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is running a hotline for those who want to put Islamist extremism behind them. The only problem is: what violence-prone Islamist is going to seek help from the very institution that has been fighting him? Florian Fuchs reports
By Florian Fuchs
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
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
Islam's Internal Debate on Reform

The Battle for Interpretational Supremacy

Whether it is about a ban on burkas or minarets, on integration and mainstream culture, or the triumphal procession of raving critics of Islam the likes of Geert Wilders – Europe is obsessed with the discussion on Islam and, in the process, it is occasionally forgotten that the Muslim world is confronted with similar issues. By Christian H. Meier
By Christian H. Meier