Most recent articles by Eren Güvercin
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Interview with Olivier Roy on the conversion of Hagia Sophia"Islamising stones is easier than Islamising souls"
The photos of the first Friday prayers in Hagia Sofia in 86 years triggered passionate and diverse responses around the world. Surrounded by a coterie of ministers, Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, led worshippers in prayer at the recently rededicated mosque. Eren Güvercin spoke to the renowned French political scientist Olivier Roy and asked him about the significance of the controversial reconversion
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Interview with French extremism researcher Olivier RoyThey love death as we love life: jihad and the roots of terror
French extremism researcher Olivier Roy talks to Eren Guvercin about the Catch 22 situation of European Muslims expected to speak for Islam, the irrelevance of 'liberal' reforms, the false premise of current de-radicalisation programmes and the nature of modern terrorism
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Interview with Turkish-German writer Feridun Zaimoglu"A Muslim cannot be an identitarian"
In interview with Qantara.de, leading Turkish-German writer Feridun Zaimoglu is critical of the state of Germany's culture of debate. While unimpressed with Homeland Minister Seehofer's comments on Islam, he also has little time for the outrage of religious functionaries
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Interview with Rafik SchamiDefending the Assad kingdom
According to renowned Syrian-born writer Rafik Schami, Assad's survival concept is quite straightforward: to keep his clan in power at any price. He is being aided in this endeavour by the West's indecisiveness towards his regime. Interview conducted by Eren Güvercin
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Interview with Islam scholar and legal expert Mathias RoheNo cultural or religious "rebates" in German courts
On 24 March 2014, a court in Wiesbaden sentenced a 23-year-old German of Afghan origin to life in prison for the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend. In their ruling, the judges made reference to the cultural background of the accused. Eren Güvercin spoke to legal scholar and expert on Islamic law Prof Mathias Rohe about this controversial case
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Interview with Feridun Zaimoglu''Germany is Making Itself a Laughing Stock''
Circumcision is a stipulation of the Prophet and therefore non-negotiable. In an interview with Eren Güvercin, Feridun Zaimoglu makes a resolute plea for the impunity of this Jewish and Muslim ritual
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Arian Fariborz: ''Rock the Kasbah''Pop Music and Protests in the Islamic World
Music is playing a key role in the political upheaval in the Arab world because angry Arab youths are using it to spread their political message. In his book Rock The Kasbah, journalist Arian Fariborz has written about numerous young Arab musicians whom he visited in their native countries