Author: Katajun Amirpur

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Visiting Tehran: a Taliban delegation led by Abdul Ghani Baradar (centre left) to Iran's then Foreign Minister Jawad Sarif, 31 January 2021 (photo: TASNIM NEWS / AFP)

Afghanistan and Iran

Can Iran be friends with the Taliban?

One thing the regime in Tehran has in common with the Taliban is that they both dislike the USA. But apart from that, Tehran has a number of issues with its neighbour, writes Katajun Amirpur, professor of Islamic Studies at the University of CologneMore

The West's failure in Afghanistan: Authors of 'War on Terror' in denial to the bitter endAfghanistan and its neighbours: Is the Taliban takeover still in Pakistan's interest?Raw materials attract China: Why Afghanistan should be filthy rich
Iranian woman walks past graffiti of a gun with the design of an American flag

Reform Islam

Can Iran do democracy?

A great deal of thought has been devoted to the issue of democracy in the Arab world over the last few decades. Katajun Amirpur examines the discourse with specific reference to Iran and its unique political systemMore

Abdolkarim Sorush: For an open interpretation of the KoranInterview with Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari (Part 1): ''Islam is a religion, not a political agenda''Interview with Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari (Part 2): ''Muslims can have democracy without having to leave Islam''Interview with Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari: Why Islam and democracy go well together
A Malaysian student studies the Koran in Hulu Langat near Kuala Lumpur (photo: MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Islam and violence

Conservative Muslims refute the violence of IS

Does Islamic theology have the argumentative resources to counter the claim that violence perpetrated in the name of Islam is covered by verses from the Koran? Yes, says the Islam expert Katajun Amirpur, pointing to an open letter from Muslim scholarsMore

Open letter to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and ISSheikh Shawqi Allam's "The Ideological Battlefield" (PDF)Debate about the role of Muslims in fighting Islamist terrorism: IS is not just a Muslim problemIslam and the modern age: Moving beyond dogmatic doctrine
People attending the German Muslim community's day of action against extremism and injustice in Berlin (photo: DW/Ali Almakhlafi)

Debate about the role of Muslims in fighting Islamist terrorism

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IS is not just a Muslim problem

Why do so many people in Germany assume that Muslims automatically sympathise more with the terrorists of IS than with those who are helping their victims? And why is so little notice being taken of the countless statements made by Muslim theologians and intellectuals who have distanced themselves from the terrorists' appalling acts? A commentary by Katajun AmirpurMore

The German Muslim community's protest against extremism: "No" to hatred and injusticeContrasting images of Islam: The last gasp of archaic masculinity?The "Muslim Associations as Community Activists" project: Open dialogue on thorny issuesQantara dossier: Islam in Germany
Islam and Europe

The Islamic "Culture of Ambiguity"

Plurality as a Matter of Course

How does a wine goblet find its way into an Islamic art collection? In "The Culture of Ambiguity", Thomas Bauer describes the wide boundaries of Muslim culture and asserts that in the West cultural goods are often considered to be "Islamic" when they're actually notMore

Perspectives on Sharia: On the Plurality of Islamic LawInterview with Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd: For a Plurality of Koranic InterpretationsInterview with the Historian Michael Borgolte: ''Islam Was Always Part of Europe''