Dialogue of Religions

Topic: Dialogue of Religions

Johann Gottfried Herder (photo: dpa/picture alliance)

Johann Gottfried Herder and the Orient

Faith as silent spirituality

All his life, the German philosopher and poet Johann Gottfried Herder grappled with issues of the Orient and Islam, preaching his vision of a society shaped by humanity, tolerance and the individual, spiritual practice of faith. By Melanie Christina Mohr More

10th anniversary of the death of Annemarie Schimmel: Searching for the inner life of Islam Karl Wilhelm Friedrich and August Wilhelm Schlegel: The Orient – so near and yet so far Goethe and Islam: Religion has no nationality

Islamic studies scholar Armina Omerika (photo: Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt am Main)

Interview with Islamic studies scholar Armina Omerika

"Muslims need new ways to approach their religious heritage"

The German Evangelical Church′s relationship with Luther shows Muslims that it′s possible to find and develop a way of engaging critically with your own religious tradition, says Islamic studies scholar Armina Omerika in interview with Canan TopcuMore

The Reform Islam debate: Islam doesn′t need a Martin Luther!Islam and religious freedom: Coercion leads to hypocrisy Interview with Maha El-Kaisy-Friemuth: "We urgently need reform within Islam"

Federal Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel meeting representatives of religious communities in North and West Africa, the Middle East and Europe at the German Foreign Office for the international ″Peace responsibility of religions″ conference (photo: dpa)

″Peace responsibility of religions″ conference

Religion′s potential for peace

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel recently invited around a hundred representatives of religious communities in North and West Africa, the Middle East and Europe to attend a confrence in Berlin. In future the Foreign Office is aiming to co-operate more closely with religious communities. By Christoph StrackMore

Pope Francis’ visit to Al-Azhar: Who holds sway over religious identity?Comparative Theology in Germany: Muslims and Christians discussing Nietzsche University of Munster: Appealing to the world for peace

Interview with Imam Benjamin Idriz

Questioning tradition

Muslims are not only permitted to ask critical questions of their theology; it is actually necessary – the opinions of scholars distort the view of the Koran, says Benjamin Idriz, imam of the mosque in Penzberg, Upper Bavaria, in conversation with Claudia MendeMore

Constantin Schreiber′s controversial mosque report: Outside Islam The Reform Islam debate: Islam doesn′t need a Martin Luther!Qantara dossier: "Reform Islam"

Pope Francis meets Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb during his visit to Al-Azhar University in Cairo (photo: Reuters)

Pope Francis’ visit to Al-Azhar

Who holds sway over religious identity?

The Muslim world is in upheaval: who will have the authority to interpret the teachings of Islam in future? Cairo′s Al-Azhar University regards itself as fit for the job. But the times are changing and the master may yet become the student. Indeed the pope′s visit was literally something of a god-send. By Alexander Goerlach More

Interview with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University: "What the Islamist armed movements are doing is wrong"Azhar imam to urge tolerance in historic meeting with the Pope Qantara dossier: "Dialogue of Religions"

Imam Sherin Khankan in Copenhagen′s first women′s mosque (photo: Ulrike Hummel)

Copenhagen′s mosque led by women

When the muezzina calls

Friday prayers are regularly held in Europe′s first female-led mosque. In a further innovative step, a new Islamic academy for the training of female imams for Denmark is about to open its doors. Ulrike Hummel reports from CopenhagenMore

Denmark′s first women-only mosque: Papa, don't preach Interview with Amina Wadud: ''Islam belongs to all its believers''Islam and feminism: Go forth and create role models!

Turkish writer and journalist Mustafa Akyol (source: mustafaakyol.org)

Non-fiction: Mustafa Akyol′s ″The Islamic Jesus″

The heart of the matter

Turkish journalist Mustafa Akyol′s latest book ″The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews became a prophet of the Muslims″ is a thought-provoking read, challenging not only the Church′s ascription of Godhead to Jesus, but also the Islamic fixation with God′s law rather than His intention. Lucy James read the bookMore

Interview with Mouhanad Khorchide: "Religion seeks to touch people′s hearts"Interview with the Islamic scholar Ebrahim Moosa: The reinvention of Islam Reforming Islam: Islam′s path to modernity Mustafa Akyol's website

Beneath the scarves: Muslim women who cover their heads are not marionettes of their beliefs, says video artist Nilbar Gures. Four still images shown here are taken from her 2006 performance, "Soyunma/Undressing", in which she unravels one veil after the other while mumbling the names of the women in her family

Berlin′s Jewish Museum: ″Cherchez la femme″

Why do women hide their hair?

Muslims, Jews, Christians: women all over the world cover their heads out of religious piety. An exhibition at Berlin's Jewish Museum asks what motivates them – and how others respond. By Nadine WojcikMore

Women's dress code in Islam: No compulsion to wear the headscarf Interview with Fereshta Ludin: "The decision for or against the headscarf is wholly a matter for the woman herself"Book review: Emel Zeynelabidin's "You grow up only in this life": The headscarf is not a gauge of devoutness

Lutheran pastor Mitri Raheb (photo: Diyar Center)

Interview with Lutheran pastor Mitri Raheb

″Till we have a fair peace″

Mitri Raheb is a Lutheran pastor and Arab Christian and the founder of the International Center of Bethlehem. Martina Sabra talks to him about Luther's influence in the Middle East, the chances of an Islamic Reformation and accusations of anti-Semitism More

Interfaith dialogue in Palestine: Reviving a heritage of peaceful co-existence Israeli-Palestinian relations: Dialogue in a time of conflict Qantara dossier: "Dialogue of religions"

Islam, people and power: The Islamists

Syrian Islamists who underwent military training

The Muslim Brotherhood – the Arab world′s foremost social and political movement – foresees the creation of an Islamic state. Elected to ...More

Islam, people and power: The Sunni traditionalists

The anti-government protests that began in the Arab world in 2010 triggered division between the religious scholars of Islam’s largest branch – the traditional Sunnis. Safa Al Ahmad travels to Egypt for ...More

Berlin Christmas market attack

Countering the horror

Fear and terror spread far more easily if terrorists succeed in generating general mistrust in our society: mistrust of security forces; mistrust of our state; mistrust of our media; mistrust of anyone who is different to ourselves; mistrust of minorities. Commentary by Ruprecht PolenzMore

IS attacks in Paris and Brussels: Orchestrating a reign of terror After the Paris attacks: The emotional helplessness of Muslims AfD and its historical antecedents: Whose struggle is it anyway?

Sickle moon atop a mosque minaret (photo: dpa/picture-alliance)

The secularisation of Muslims

Silent withdrawal

While the emerging religious demography only counts members of the Church as Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims etc. are counted as religious from birth – with no option to leave their religion. This skews the statistics and our perceptions. By Michael BlumeMore

Islam and enlightenment: Beware of the myth The Reform Islam debate: Islam doesn′t need a Martin Luther!Secularism in the Islamic world: Part I – It′s a knotty problem

Wood engraving by Camille Flammarion: "Un missionnaire du moyen âge raconte qu'il avait trouvé le point où le ciel et la Terre se touchent" (source: Wikipedia)

Islam and enlightenment

Beware of the myth

Anyone in Europe calling for Islam to finally go through a phase of enlightenment should first pause for critical reflection on our own concept of Enlightenment, writes the prominent Islamic studies expert Ulrich Rudolph More

The decline of Islamic scientific thought: Don't blame it on al-Ghazali Interview with Angelika Neuwirth: "The claim that Islam lacks an Enlightenment is an age-old cliche"Secularism in the Islamic world: It′s a knotty problem

Tunisian Secretary of State Saida Ounissi (photo: Ennahda France)

Interview with Tunisian Secretary of State Saida Ounissi

Don′t marginalise your Muslims

In 2014, Saida Ounissi (29) was elected to the Tunisian Parliament as an MP for the Ennahda movement. She is currently Secretary of State to the Ministry of Vocational Training and Labour. In interview with Peter Schaefer, she describes growing up with Islamophobia and racism in France and suggests ways of preventing youth radicalisationMore

Interview with Ingrid Mattson: ″Muslim youngsters need genuine role models″The Islam debate The dual consciousness of Muslims The French crime writer Karim Miske in interview: ″There are no simple solutions″

Ruhrtriennale 2016 venue: the mosque in Duisburg-Marxloh

″Urban Prayers″ music theatre project

Spotlight on faith

What do people believe in? What is their language of prayer? Which churches, prayer rooms, mosques or temples do they attend? The interfaith theatre project ″Urban Prayers″ posed these and other tough questions – in six different places of worship throughout Germany′s Ruhr region. By Gaby ReucherMore

Ruhrtriennale website: "Urban Prayers Ruhr"Qantara dossier: "Dialogue of religions"The Berlin Project "House of One": Three religions under one roof