Society

Tariq Ramadan

Europe's Muslim of Choice

He's the man EU officials and journalists alike seek out when Islam and Western Europe don't see eye-to-eye. Muslim intellectual Tariq Ramadan has been in demand again recently. By Joachim Schubert-Ankenbauer
Portrait of Hanife Karakus

"I See Myself as a Muslim Frenchwoman"

Six months ago, Hanife Karakus, the daughter of Turkish immigrants, became the first woman to be elected president of a Muslim regional council. Since then, she has led the regional council in the region of Limousin in southern France. Siegfried Forster paid her a visit
First Mosque for Women in Kabul

"God Isn't Only There for Men"

Over the past few decades, women in Islamic countries have rediscovered going to the mosque. These developments are now gradually being felt in Afghanistan. The first official mosque for women recently opened in Kabul. By Ratbil Shamel
History of Islam

Breathtaking Diversity

Gudrun Krämer, Professor of Islamic Studies at the Free University in Berlin, has written a history of Islam from the beginnings to the present day, from its outer limits in Asia to its furthest Western outpost in Andalusia. By Mona Naggar
Islam in Germany

Central Council Elects Islam Convert for Top Post

For the first time the Central Council of Muslims, one of Germany's largest Muslim organizations, has a chairman of German origin - Ayyub Axel Köhler who converted to Islam in 1963. Rainer Sollich reports
Protest against Honor Killings

An Engagement and Its Consequences

Two young Berlin Turks are protesting against so-called honor killings. But along with strong interest from the media and positive reactions, the campaign is also producing tensions. Ariana Mirza talked with the people involved
Interview with Yasemin Karakasoglu

Beliefs Test versus Principle of Equality

Yasemin Karakasoglu, the first professor of "Intercultural Education" at the University of Bremen, considers a beliefs test for Muslims to be unconstitutional. Larissa Bender interviewed her
Women's Centres in Turkey

Fleeing the Tormentors

Barbarous traditions and customs still govern the way women are treated in the southern and eastern parts of Anatolia in particular. Many women are raped, abused, and even stoned to death. But resistance to such practices has been growing since the end of the 1990s. Sigrid Dethloff reports
Interview with Ahmed An-Na'im

"We Muslims Have No Church!"

Human rights and secularism, says Ahmed An-Na'im, create a space for protest. And, surprisingly, the lawyer, who is originally from Sudan, sees in the Muslim law system, the Sharia, the third pillar of a humane civil society. Interview by Edith Kresta
The Hotel Baron in Aleppo

Spies, Nuns, Presidents, and a Broken-Hearted Lover

The "Hotel Baron" in Aleppo has witnessed a century of Syrian history and European involvement in the politics of the Middle East. Previous guests have included kings and presidents, writers and spies; now, Kristin Helberg experiences modern comfort combined with the flair of times past
Islam in the Media

Neo-Orientalizing Images

It is a bitter irony that only after 9/11 Western media developed a hitherto unparalleled interest in Islamic culture. But still journalists are struggling with stereotypes. Sonja Hegasy about the pitfalls of journalism dealing with Islam
Virginity in Egypt

Double Standards and Hypocrisy

Operations to restore a woman's virginity are prohibited in Egypt, but are often performed all the same. They reflect a rejection of old concepts of morality which equate virtue with an intact hymen. Nelly Youssef reports