Reform Islam
All topics-
Ankara School pioneer and reformist Islamic theologian
The resignation of Turkish Koran exegete Mustafa Ozturk
Professor of theology and Qantara interview partner Mustafa Ozturk has resigned from an Istanbul university after immense pressure from certain segments of the Islamic community, having advocated a version of Islam they deemed "blasphemous". Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
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Spotlight on bridge-builders: Lamya Kaddor
"I aim to strengthen young Muslims' sense of identity"
Lamya Kaddor is a frontwoman for liberal Islam in Germany. The Islamic studies teacher has received numerous awards for her dedication. But she also faces hostility from many sides. Ceyda Nurtsch introduces her for Qantara.de
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Book review: Ahmed El Shamsy's "Rediscovering the Islamic Classics"
How the printing press saved Islamic classics from near extinction
Ahmed El Shamsy's "Rediscovering the Islamic Classics" examines how a handful of reformist editors and intellectuals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries harnessed printing press technology to save a rich body of classical Islamic texts from the brink of extinction. By Muhammed Nafih Wafy
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Rationality in Islamic theology
Muslims – believers caught between reason and revelation
How readers approach the Koran and Islam's prophetic tradition determines their understanding of these sources. Textual interpretation depends on your perspective: rational and liberal – or dogmatic. A new collection of essays on rationality in Islamic theology focuses on the sheer scope to be found in early Islam. By Musa Bagrac
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President Sisi, the Grand Imam and Al-Azhar
Egypt’s eternal conundrum – reforming religious thought
How long can Al-Azhar University mount guard over orthodox Islamic learning, fending off Sisi’s attempt to assert control while also curtailing the influence of oil-rich Gulf states? By Muhammed Nafih Wafy
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Review of Leor Halevi's "Modern Things on Trial"
Bottom-up fatwas – Rashid Rida and laissez-faire Salafism
Leor Halevi’s latest work examines how Muhammad Rashid Rida with his pro-capitalist and open-market fatwas promoted a version of "laissez-faire Salafism" at the turn of the 20th century. Muhammed Nafih Wafy read the book
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Interview with pioneering Islamic thinker Fehmi Jadaane
What is the essence of Islam, and does it need reforming?
Renowned Jordanian Islamic scholar Fehmi Jadaane vehemently objects to the transformation of Islam into an ideology. The religion ends up mired in a political swamp, he says, its message nothing more than an instrument of governance. Interview by Alia Al-Rabeo
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Interview with Quranet founder Ofer Grosbard
Parenting according to the Koran
At the suggestion of his Arab students, Israeli psychologist Ofer Grosbard created the project "Quranet", which uses texts from the Koran to solve educational problems in schools and families. More than ten years after its inception, the project is now attracting attention in the Arab world. Interview by Claudia Mende
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The Prophet and Sharia
Islamic family law reform – a question of interpretation
Equality in divorce, a ban on polygamy: reformers of Islamic family law have a clear agenda. They are exploiting the ambiguity of traditional jurisprudence. By Joseph Croitoru
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Profile: Christian Awhan Hermann
Finding a mosque for Germany’s first gay imam
Christian Awhan Hermann is the first openly gay imam in Germany. His mission: to give a voice to fellow Muslims who are facing discrimination. By Anna Fries
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Jews and Muslims in dialogue
"Jews are being used to create anti-Muslim feeling"
Through their "Dialogue Perspectives" programme, the Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich and Avicenna academic foundations promote discourse between Jewish and Muslim scholarship holders. In an interview with Ursula Russmann, Rachel de Boor and Hani Mohseni talk about new alliances between their communities – and why the majority of society wants to see devout Jews, but liberal Muslims
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"Godʹs Revelation in the Word of Men"
A Koran for the 21st century
With the first in a series of 17 planned commentaries on the Koran, editor Mouhanad Khorchide from the University of Munster builds a bridge between traditional readings of the Koran and modern scholarly interpretation. Musa Bagrac read the book