Author: Arnfrid Schenk

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Visiting a mosque in Duisburg during National Mosque Open Day (photo: dpa)

Europe and its Muslims

Islamic theology in Germany: Spanning the divide

Five German universities have been offering degrees in Islamic theology since 2010. How successful are these courses and how much influence do the universities have? Arnfrid Schenk takes stockMore

Islamic theology: Turning over a new pageSalafism or philology: The scholar's touchQantara dossier: Islamic theology in Germany
The radical Salafist preacher Pierre Vogel (left) addressing at a rally in Offenbach am Main (photo: Boris Roessler/dpa)

Islamism in Germany

Jihad in the schoolyard

Many young people are getting caught up in the Islamist scene. Why – and how can they be protected from it? Details from Arnfrid SchenkMore

Recruitment strategies used by Islamic State: A mutation of religionInterview with the social scientist Edit Schlaffer: Mothers Schools challenge extremismInterview with the Islam scholar Lamya Kaddor: Jihad as a form of youth protest
La Manouba university in Tunis (photo: Deutsche Welle/M. Marwa)

Higher education in Tunisia

The vestiges of spring

The Arab Spring started in Tunisia, five years ago. Led by students, the people toppled their leader. How are Tunisia’s young people doing today? A tour of the universities in Tunis. By Arnfrid SchenkMore

Democratic transformation in Tunisia: The model student faces difficult tasks Arab world: No Arab Spring in educationJihadist terrorism in Tunisia: The tragic fate of shepherd boy Mabrouk Soltani
A supporter of Pierre Vogel during a Salafist rally in Frankfurt on Main on 7 September 2014 (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Roessler)

Salafists in Germany

A simple world view and the promise of paradise

Salafists in Germany have been on a recruitment drive for quite some time: handing out flyers and free copies of the Koran in city centres. They are also targeting young people at schools, on the Internet and anywhere where young people meet. How can young people be protected? By Arnfrid SchenkMore

Salafi Muslims: Doctrinaire severityWahhabism and Salafism: Shared foundation – different methodsInterview with intelligence operative Benno Köpfer: "You're allowed to be a Salafist in Germany"
Ancient Jewish manuscript discovered inside caves in a Taliban stronghold in northern Afghanistan (photo: The National Library of Israel, HO/AP/dapd)

Exchange between Christian, Jewish and Muslim Scholars

Exploring a Shared Heritage

Prof. Sabine Schmidtke, head of the Research Unit for the Study of Intellectual History in the Islamicate World at the Freie Universität Berlin, has a passion in life: working with ancient manuscripts. In the course of her work, she discovers common threads in the thinking of Christian, Jewish and Muslim scholars. Arnfrid Schenk takes a closer look at her work and its significance outside the academic worldMore

Islamic Manuscripts from Mali: From Holes in the Sand to a Digital LibraryIndonesia's Cultural Heritage: Eternal KnowledgeInterview with Claudia Ott: A New Chapter in the History of Arab Literature
Prof. Omar Hamdan (photo: dpa)

Omar Hamdan, Professor of Islamic Theology

The First of His Kind

Germany's first Centre of Islamic Theology was recently opened at the University of Tübingen. The head of the centre is the Koranic expert Omar Hamdan, who so far is the only professor teaching at the centre. Arnfrid Schenk spoke to the professor about his work and the degree course he is teachingMore

Post-graduate Programme on Islamic Theology: ''Muslim Theologians are Instigators of Change''First Centre for Islamic Theology: Opening a New Chapter for Islam in GermanyMathias Rohe on Islamic Theology in Germany: Triggering Global Debates

In brief

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Most Recent Photo Essay

Muslim miners in Bosnia break their fast underground

Muslim men engaged in long hours of hard labour deep underground in a coal mine in Bosnia still find the strength to fast. Kemal Softic accompanied them down the mine