Society
Topics
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The VaticanAll things to all people?
A Muslim visits the Vatican and discovers the breadth of attitudes and beliefs represented by the many people who cross its threshold every year. Is the Holy See gradually transcending its Christian roots to become a place of spiritual pilgrimage for all? By Mulham Al Malaika
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Syrian refugee Nather Henafe Alali″I am the misery of the 21st century″
″I don′t want to be a refugee. And I don′t want to be the subject of a newspaper article that is not about me as a human being. That calls me an historic intercontinental event or a storm of pain sweeping through this miserable world, but doesn′t call me a refugee, ″ writes Nather Henafe Alai in his column
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European Islamophobia ReportWake up to the danger!
Scholars have for the first time published a comprehensive overview of anti-Muslim racism in 25 European countries. Attacks against Muslims and their institutions have increased considerably since 2015. Politics and civil society need to finally take this development more seriously. By Claudia Mende
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Interview with the theologian and Islam scholar Felix Koerner"Clean theology is good for every religious community"
At the start of the millennium, the Jesuit priest Felix Koerner conducted research in Ankara and engaged with theologians who were streets ahead of their Arab colleagues when it came to libertarian and progressive thought. But the role of religion on the Bosphorus has changed dramatically since then. In an interview with Carolin Kubo, Koerner talks about the interdependence of religion and the state in Turkey and why interfaith dialogue is at a more advanced stage in Germany
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A Muslim woman speaks out on exclusion"Returning to the Dark Ages"
She is devoted to the struggle against anti-Muslim racism. Hatice Durmaz speaks out on hatred that has become socially acceptable, right-wing populists and hostility in German universities
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55 years of German-Turkish labour recruitmentIntegration is a crossroads
In October it will be fifty-five years since Germany and Turkey signed the labour recruitment agreement. And yet many people of Turkish origin still feel like outsiders in Germany. What does that tell us about the course of integration and what role does past experience play in the current situation? By Melanie Christina Mohr
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Islam and violenceSelf-proclaimed jihadists
Does Islam have a violence problem? With their terror in the name of Islam, the jihadists have plunged an entire world religion into a crisis of legitimacy. Although Islamic scholarship has mechanisms at its disposal to limit the violence, these are no longer effective in this current era of globalisation. By Claudia Mende
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Peace and justice in IslamAre we missing something?
Associating progressive social policies with Islam may unsettle some, yet the parallels are there and offer many possibilities. A contribution to the debate on religion and human rights by Hakan Altinay
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Salafism or philologyWhat can an Islamic scholar tell us?
The Islamic scholar Angelika Neuwirth has had a greater impact on Koranic research in Germany than anyone else in recent decades. What she has to say is revolutionary – not only for Muslims, but also for Europe. Salafists, in particular, could learn a great deal from her. By Navid Kermani
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Germany and Islam"Muslims are already German"
Many people these days are asking whether Islam and Muslims belong to Germany. In her recent book "Being German, Becoming Muslim", the Turkish anthropologist Esra Ozyurek provides an answer. Her results are more than clear. Interview by Emran Feroz
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Freedom of expression in TurkeyAcademics on the run
Turkish universities are coming down hard on academics who signed an appeal for peace, providing the government with an ideal pretext to deal with its political opponents, writes Joseph Croitoru
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Marriage in IndonesiaAct of bravery
Marriage is highly regarded in Indonesian society and divorce can be a strong stigma for both women and men. Nonetheless, the number of divorces is rising and the government has now regulated issues of alimony and child care. By Edith Koesoemawiria