Author: Paul Hockenos

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Abu Ibraheem in a video message threatening to kill people who allegedly denigrate prophet Muhammed (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

Guido Steinberg on German Islamist Terrorism

Trend towards "Individual Jihad"

Guido Steinberg is Germany's foremost specialist on Islamist terrorism in Europe. In this interview with Paul Hockenos, he talks about the specifics of German Islamist terrorism and al-Qaeda's change of strategyMore

The Close and the Distant Enemy: Islamic Terrorist NetworksSalafists in Germany: Heavy on Populism, Light on Strategic ThinkingSalafists in Germany: Heading for ''Urban Terrorism''?
Anti-Assad protests in Idlib, 2012 (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

The German NGO "Adopt a Revolution"

Planning for a Postwar Syria

In times of war and carnage, the German nonprofit organization "Adopt a Revolution" supports Syrian civil society groups and plans for a Postwar Syria. Paul Hockenos reportsMore

Internet Activists in Syria: Virtual (Counter-)RevolutionMalek Jandali: ''We are witnessing the fall of humanity''Civil War in Syria: The Time to Act is NowWebsite of "Adopt a Revolution"
Prayer time in the Eyüp Sultan Camii in Hamburg, Germany (photo: dpa)

John R. Bowen's ''Blaming Islam''

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Deconstructing Populism

John R. Bowen, anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis, is fed up with the myths, misinformation and cheap populism surrounding the issue of Islam and Muslims in the West. In his book, he debunks the falsehoods that have crept into the everyday political discourse about the religion and its adherents. A review by Paul HockenosMore

German Human Rights Expert: ''The Hard Core of Islamophobia Is Racist''Interview with Gudrun Krämer: Fighting Islamophobia with Rational ArgumentsRadical Critics of Islam and Islamophobia: Denying the Individuality of Minority Members
A man celebrating after the elections in Libya (photo: Reuters)

Lin Noueihed and Alex Warren on the Arab Spring

Post-revolution Patchwork

In their book The Battle for the Arab Spring: Revolution, Counter-Revolution and the Making of a New Era, Lin Noueihed and Alex Warren show how differently the countries affected by the uprisings of 2011 are developing. They conclude that for a number of reasons, post-Arab Spring democracies will not turn out to be similar to those in the West. Paul Hockenos read the bookMore

Interview with Noam Chomsky: ''The West Is Terrified of Arabic Democracies''The Arab Spring and Political Change: Are Arabs Capable of Democracy?Democratisation Processes in Historic Comparison: Arab Nations Are No Longer Onlookers
Anders Behring Breivik on the first day of his trial in April 2012 (photo: REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch)

Anders Behring Breivik and Islamophobia in Europe

The Capitulation of Mainstream Politics

In this essay, Paul Hockenos writes that it would be a mistake to dismiss Breivik's hate-drenched tirades as the outpourings of a madman and points to the fact that Islamophobia has been a staple of political discourse in European politics and an inspiration for the extreme right since 9/11. He calls for greater vigilance on the part of intelligence and security forces and stronger resistance from democratic parties in EuropeMore

Radical Critics of Islam and Islamophobia: Denying the Individuality of Minority MembersIslamophobia in Europe: Breivik's Call to ArmsAfter the Massacre in Norway: Critics of Islam Face a DilemmaAftermath of the Attacks in Norway: Isolate the Intellectual Incendiaries!

In brief

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Most Recent Photo Essay

Psychologists sound the alarm: in December 2019 Iran's health minister warned of the high economic and social costs of mental illness in Iran. The Association of Iranian Psychologists estimated that one quarter of the population suffers from depression. The American Cato Institute saw Iran in 2019 as the third most unhappy country in the world. Since then, the country has been broadsided by the coronavirus pandemic

Iran: knee-deep in trauma and depression

The country's mood was already weighed down by economic and social problems and military crises before the pandemic reached Iran. The regime's crisis management has done little to improve things. By Shabnam von Hein