Author: Mousa Barhouma

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Remembering the victims of the Christchurch attacks in New Zealand (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

After the massacre in New Zealand

Breaking the cycle of violence

In the wake of the Christchurch attack, people took to the Internet to publish messages of both outrage and sympathy, as well as calls for retaliation. Where hatred prevails, reason no longer appears to have a voice. This barbaric act has unleashed destructive forces long buried beneath the surface, writes Jordanian journalist Mousa BarhoumaMore

Terror attacks on mosques in New Zealand: A rupture in our civilisationWhite terrorism: Murder on their mindsRight-wing extremist terror attacks: A timelineAn appeal to Muslims: Call out the terrorists!
Students protest in front of Azhar University in Cairo on 27.12.2012 (photo: Reuters)

Debating secularism and religion in the Islamic world

No threat to faith

Jordanian journalist Mousa Barhouma criticises the recurrent Arab tendency to equate secularism with apostasy and heresy. In his view, Islam does not prescribe any specific form of governmentMore

Secularism in the Islamic world: Part I – It′s a knotty problemThe secularisation of Muslims: Silent withdrawalIslam and enlightenment: Beware of the myth
Imams pray on the Champs Elysees in Paris as part of the trans-European "Muslims Against Terror" march, July 2017 (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Kunigkeit)

Islam in Europe

An appeal to Muslims: Call out the terrorists!

Muslims in the West need to shoulder some of the burden when it comes to combatting extremism, otherwise they themselves may well fall under the wheels of the proverbial bus. Commentary by Mousa BarhoumaMore

Islamist terrorism in Europe: Besting the beastMuslims and the Paris attacks: European Muslims must speak as oneTerrorism debate: The distortion of Islam
Stock image of primary school children

Education in the Arab world

Stop corrupting the next generation!

With curricula still focusing on fighting Christians, the torments of the grave, not to mention children being burnt in Hell, a revolution in Islamic religious education would appear to be long overdue. Mousa Barhouma argues in favour of teaching pupils noble Islamic ideas and humane values without overtaxing their intellectual maturityMore

Combating violent extremism: Could Sufi Islam be the cure-all?Libya: Removing Gaddafi from schoolbooksScience and research in the Islamic world: Rebuilding the Muslim House of Wisdom
Muslims in the Sehitlik Mosque in Berlin (photo: Getty Images/A. Rent)

Muslims and the Paris attacks

European Muslims must speak as one

Islam will continue to be equated with brutality until such time as the Muslims of Europe stand together as a group that not only protects its religiousness, but also projects a positive image of its religion, says Jordanian writer Mousa BarhoumaMore

Muslims and the Paris attacks: "I distance myself from these murderers – not as a Muslim, but as a human being"Democracy and freedom of speech: Charlie and TheoOn Raif Badawi, Charlie Hebdo and non-violent Islamism: "We are all in this together, like it or not"After the Paris attacks: The dangerous "alliance" between Islamism and Islamophobia

In brief

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Most Recent Photo Essay

Forced removals: it's estimated that 8,000 refugees live in Bihac. The camps are overcrowded and every day there is talk of burglaries. There was a stabbing in front of the kindergarten. Next to Camp Bira, there were about 500 people not registered with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). In mid-June police picked them up and drove them to a site called Vucjak

The inhumanity of Bosniaʹs Vucjak refugee camp

Within eyeshot of the Bosnian-Croatian border, thousands of refugees are camping in squalor on a former garbage site. Their supplies are scarce. Photographer Dirk Planert was among them