With his hostility towards religious minorities in the Islamic world and his wholesale dismissal of Muslim life in Europe, the Islamic scholar and television preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi is damaging dialogue and interreligious communication. A commentary by Khaled Hroub
Islam has been practiced in Bosnia for centuries. Claudia Mende asked Armina Omerika, an expert in Islamic studies, whether the Bosnian Islamic tradition could serve as a model for the integration of Muslims in other European societies
Germany's Science Council has proposed anchoring Islamic theology at the German universities – rightly and fortunately so, says Matthias Drobinski. In the juncture of religion and science Islam has the chance to win back the ability for reflection and self-restriction that the faith once had
Contrary to the European experience, secularization in the Islamic world preceded a religious reformation – with profound negative consequences for political development in Muslim societies. An essay by Nader Hashemi
Germany's debates on Islam are becoming ever more caustic and confusing. Islamic Studies expert Stefan Weidner explains the background to the debates, to help neutral observers to find their way around
In order to foster a culture of tolerance and diversity, it is necessary to work on cultivating personal awareness of prejudice, stereotypes and social mechanisms. By Nilly Venezia
Corruption and nepotism are widespread in Arab nations. Large-scale bribery is not uncommon, even among leading politicians, as Birgit Kaspar reports from Beirut
The Palestinian-American literary scholar Edward Said (1935 – 2003) is required reading for anyone talking about Islam today. His main work, Orientalism, recently came out in a new German translation. Stefan Weidner read it for Qantara.de
Development policy needs to take a stand in the debate on basic rights, integration and religion, argues Christian von Haldenwang. Western values should be discussed while taking other views and cultures into account
The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees study "Muslim Life in Germany" shows that Muslims are better integrated than is commonly assumed. There are still deficits, however, in school education and educational social mobility. Sonja Haug sums up the findings
In Indonesia abortion is not simply a public health problem but a touchstone political issue, setting up conflicts of identity, morality and social control. Indonesian activists keep fighting to have abortion decriminalised. By Terence H. Hull and Ninuk Widyantoro
The so-called "debate on national identity" launched by the French government is causing feelings among the public to run high. At the centre of the storm lies the controversy of a ban on the burka and relations with Muslims in general. By Bernhard Schmid
The sociologist José Casanova confronts the paradigm that secularisation is a prerequisite for open and tolerant societies. In Europas Angst vor der Religion (Europe's Fear of Religion) he calls for an end to the strict division between faith and politics. A review by Lewis Gropp
The countries of the Maghreb strive to reinterpret Islam in modern social contexts through their revised family codes, which secure women's rights without compromising Islamic values, writes Fatima Sadiqi
In spite of government filtering, low bandwidth connections, prosecution of the bloggers, and other social and technological problems, the Persian blogosphere has been able to thrive into a community of people with different social and political opinions and fields of interest. By Arash Kamangir
The Radical Middle Way is an initiative aimed at articulating a mainstream understanding of Islam that inspires positive change. Click here for more...
The Palestine-Israel Journal is staffed by a joint team of Palestinians and Israelis working from a single office based in East Jerusalem. More...
For his coverage of conflict in the Middle East, Judah Passow won four World Press Photo awards. On his website he features photo essays on Beirut, Bosnia, Israel, the West Bank, and Islam in New York...
Effective and sustainable measures are urgently needed at the city, national and EU levels to tackle religious discrimination, according to a report released by the Open Society Institute's 'At Home in Europe' project. More...
The Arab Press Network is a digital network which supports the development of a stronger independent press in the Arab world. Click here for more...
The Britain-based Islamic Foundation for cology and Environmental Studies works towards the revival of Islamic environmental norms. Click here for more...
Euro-Islam.info is an active network of researchers and scholars who conduct comparative research on Islam and Muslims in the West and disseminate key information to politicians, media, and the public. More...
