DOSSIER
Islamism
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Islamism is generally considered to be a religious ideology that aims at influencing the political sphere and at ultimately implementing sharia laws. In this dossier we take a look at the different facets of Islamism in various regions of the world
In Focus
The Islamism Debate
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Political discourse without Islamist groups would be unthinkable in many Islamic-dominated countries. But what is Islamism actually? Is it more than a fanaticism of losers? And how should the West deal with the "moderate Islamists"? Answers from Sonja Zekri
Interview with Olivier Roy
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Olivier Roy is one of the most renowned experts on political Islam. In this interview with Michael Hesse, he talks about religious fundamentalism, Islam in Europe, and explains why the Muslim middle classes in the West ought to be recognized as a western faith community, not as an alien culture
The Muslim Brotherhood
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The Muslim Brotherhood is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states, particularly Egypt. Now splits within the world's oldest and largest Islamic political group indicate that it is at a decisive crossroads. By James M. Dorsey
Essay: Sadiq Al-Azm
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The Syrian intellectual Sadiq al-Azm proposed Self-Criticism after the Defeat to the Arabs in 1968, and in the following year a
Critique of Religious Thought. He sees a third way for the Muslim faith between radicalism and state Islam
Interview with the Algerian Novelist Boualem Sansal
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In 1945, following the Second World War, many prominent Nazis sought refuge in Arab countries. The Algerian writer Boualem Sansal has addressed this chapter of history in his latest novel. Martina Sabra met him in Frankfurt, Germany
Perspectives of Radical Islam
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Abdelwahab Meddeb is one of the leading intellectuals proposing a progressive interpretation of Islam. His book The Malady of Islam caused heated debates in the Muslim world. In this text, he calls for a revision of Koranic statements based on a historical reading of the text
Perspectives on Radical Islamism
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The political scientist Volker Perthes is the director of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin and has published numerous studies on the Near and Middle East. He sees five key ways for Europe to take constructive action in the Muslim world
Interview with Tayyib Tizini
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Tayyib Tizini, Professor of Politics and Philosophy at the University of Damascus, holds the view that the current strength of radical Islamist movements in the Arab world is the product of a lack of freedom. Tayyib Tizini spoke to Afra Mohamed in Damascus
Perspectives on Radical Islamism
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Islamists take political action in a wide variety of different contexts. Political scientist Amr Hamzawy, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, offers a nuanced view of these movements
The Origins of Islamic Extremism
"The Siege of Mecca" by Yaroslav Trofimov
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In his study, Yaroslav Trofimov tries to re-evaluate an event which is seen as central in the development of militant Islamism: the attack carried out by a group of Saudi extremists in November 1979 on the Qaaba in Mecca. Joseph Croitoru has read the book
Islamism in the Past and the Present
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What are the roots of political Islam and what are the ideological tenets and goals of radical Islamic activists in Muslim countries? Franz Kogelmann provides an historic overview
Islamism and Violence
Interview with Guido Steinberg
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Guido Steinberg is the author of a wide-ranging and detailed study of Islamic terrorist organisations. Steinberg has succeeded in providing a work that is both historical reference and documentary source book. Youssef Hijazi interviewed him
Steve Coll's "The Bin Ladens"
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In his detailed and precise study of the Bin Laden family Steve Coll describes the development from being a poor clan living in the coastal Hadhramaut region of Yemen to becoming one of the most powerful and prosperous families in Saudi Arabia. Sebastian Sons has been reading the book
Olivier Roy: "The Politics of Chaos"
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Olivier Roy, Islamism expert and renowned authority on the Islamic world wants his new book, "The Politics of Chaos in the Middle East", to refute the idea of a "geostrategy of Islam" – and along with it the theory of the clash of civilisations. A review by Loay Mudhoon
Lawrence Wright's "The Looming Tower"
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American journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright makes the history of Islamism sound like a political thriller. Andrian Kreye has read the book, which is considered by experts to be the definitive work on the prehistory of 9/11
Al-Qaeda in Yemen
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Yemen has recently become a haven for al-Qaeda. Yet a few years ago the organisation had seemingly petered out, the leaders of the old guard either in prison or dead. Albrecht Metzger has background details
Ed Husain, "The Islamist"
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In his book, "The Islamist", Ed Husain describes how he became an Islamic fundamentalist at the age of 16, and why he later quit the radical movement. Susannah Tarbush welcomes the debate Husain's book has caused
Violence within Islam
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Although in recent years radical Muslim preachers have increasingly been recruiting young Muslims for armed combat, till now no discourse has evolved within Islamic communities or amongst scholars surrounding the theological background to violence. By Mona Naggar
Islamist Parties in the Maghreb
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The last few years have witnessed Islamic parties participating in the political process in both Algeria and Morocco. This has resulted in these parties becoming more pragmatic and ready to make compromises. By Isabelle Werenfels
Interview with Khaled Abou El Fadl
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Khaled Abou El Fadl is a prominent Islamic scholar and intellectual. In this interview with Novriantoni and Ramy El-Dardiry, El Fadl talks about suicide bombings, misinterpretations of 'jihad' and the humanist tradition of Islam
The burgeoning fundamentalist religious forces have not only radicalized the conflict between Israel and Palestine. A new generation of Palestinian women is also increasingly looking to the Islamists for salvation. Kai Adler reports
Syria's religious women's societies have one thing in common: They aspire to re-Islamization, which bolsters their self-confidence toward the West, themselves and their regime. Mona Sarkis on the women's society known as "Qubaisiat"
Lifestyle changes in Pakistan's business metropolis. More and more women from Karachi's upper class have become followers of an Islamic woman preacher and have started wearing the veil. Manuela Kessler reports
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 documentary film The Making of Islam: Empire of Faith covers more than a thousand years of history and culture, and a very large part of the world. Watch full PBS documentary on YouTube...
In "Ghost Wars", Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll tells the secret history of the CIA's role in Afghanistan, from its covert program against Soviet troops from 1979 to 1989, to the rise of the Taliban, to the secret efforts by CIA officers to capture or kill bin Laden in Afghanistan after 1998. More...
bianet is a network for monitoring and covering media freedom and independent journalism in Turkey. It's aim is to raise public awareness of social and cultural value of information. Click here...
niqash is a trilingual website (Arabic, English, Kurdish) on politics, media and culture in Iraq. Since March 2005 a network of Iraqi correspondents delivers reports, interviews and analysis on various topics...
AVAAZ.org is an international civic organisation that promotes political action on issues such as human rights, and religious conflicts. The NGO's "Stop the Clash" video has had nearly 1.5 million views. Click here...
