Society

Female students – at Grace Valley "Wafiyya" College of Arts in Science in Malappuram, Kerala, India (source: Grace Valley College.com)

Islamic education in India

All-female madrassas: Of women, by women and for women

A new breed of women-only Islamic seminaries in India are making the rarefied area of higher studies in Islamic theology accessible to girls, while introducing an eclectic blend of traditional religious studies and modern secular education. By Muhammed Nafih WafyMore

Women and Arab-Islamic education: The doyennes of learning Taha Hussein and the democratisation of education in Egypt: The sea of knowledge Gender equality in the Middle East: To the benefit of all

Supporters cheer on Salafist preacher Pierre Vogel in Frankfurt am Main, Germany (photo: Boris Roessler/dpa)

Preventing jihadism

The psychology of radicalisation: Lego Islam

Many of those individuals joining the jihad have little knowledge of the Koran. Yet there are other signs that indicate whether somebody might carry out an attack in the name of Allah. By Frederike HauptMore

Interview with French extremism researcher Olivier Roy: ″Radicalisation is not the result of failed integration″Preventing Islamism in Belgium: Robbing the jihadists of their advantage Interview with the social scientist Edit Schlaffer: Mothers Schools challenge extremism

Right-wing AfD supporters on the march in Germany in 2015 (photo: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/Markus Heine

Europe and the USA

When anti-Semitism and Islamophobia join hands: The racist vortex

The campaign against George Soros is fuelling a dangerous symbiosis between anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, argues political scientist Farid HafezMore

Hungary and Islam: Defending Christendom Resistance to Pegida: "Intolerance must not be tolerated"Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia: A third way, yes, but one that acknowledges the complexity of today's realities

Afghan architect Masouma Delijam, Kabul (photo: DW/B. Schulke)

Hindu Kush

Reconstruction in Afghanistan: The strong women of Darul Aman

Kabul's Darul Aman Palace was originally built to house Afghanistan's parliament. After four decades of war, it had become an ever-present reminder of violence and destruction. Now a team of architects and engineers, many of them women, are rebuilding the ruins. By Sandra PetersmannMore

U.S. operations in Afghanistan: War without end Negotiating with the Taliban for girls′ education: Treading carefully Emancipation in Afghanistan: Breaking down cyber barriers

Women at prayer in a Berlin mosque (photo: imago)

Germany

Headscarf debate: How Islamophobic is feminism?

Feminists who want to ban headscarves for girls are betraying the cause – and playing into the hands of the right-wing populists. An essay by Meredith HaafMore

Women′s rights in Islam: Can feminism be Islamic?Islam and feminism: Go forth and create role models! Qantara dossier: The headscarf controversy

Some 10,000 people are still living in camps on the Greek islands of Lesbos, Chios and Samos (photo: Getty Images/AFP/A. Messinis)

The refugee debate

How do we want to live?

The idea that refugees are either victims or invaders is having a major impact on public debate within Germany. In interview with Sarah Kanning, social scientist Heidrun Friese provides insights into her latest researchMore

"Stranded. Refugees between Syria and Europe": Forever in transit Book review: ″Auf der Flucht″ by Karim El Gawhary and Mathilde Schwabeneder: Born in the wrong place The emotional wounds of refugee children: Talking about the unspeakable

Muna Tatari, professor at the Seminar for Islamic Theology at the University of Paderborn (photo: Ulrike Hummel)

Environmental protection in Islam

Patterning nature

What indicators of environmental protection and species conservation can be found in Islamic theology, the Koran and other Islamic lore? Answers from Muna Tatari, professor at the Seminar for Islamic Theology at the University of PaderbornMore

Eco-Islam pioneer Fazlun Khalid: ''Allah does not love the wasters''Eco-Islam: Noor al-Hussein speaks out: Islam, faith and climate change Islam, environment and sustainability: "The environmental crisis is also a spiritual crisis"Gardens in Islam: A metaphor for heavenly paradise

Catholic and Orthodox churches in Elbasan (photo: DW/Lindita Arapi)

Interfaith dialogue in Albania

Loving their neighbours

Three houses of worship stand in close proximity – a mosque, a Catholic church and an Orthodox church: Elbasan's old town is a veritable symbol of religious tolerance in Albania. Extremists do not appreciate this image. By Lindita ArapiMore

Muslims in Bosnia Herzegovina: Help is at hand Sufi orders in southwest Kosovo: The dervishes of Prizren The Lipka Tatars of Eastern Europe

A man stands in the martyrs' section of Isfahan cemetery (photo: Philipp Breu)

Iran′s ″Holy Defence″

Dulce et decorum est...

Iran has many museums dedicated to its rich history. Nevertheless, those places that focus on events during which Iranians and other prominent 'Defenders of Islam' lost their lives, enjoy special status. By Philipp BreuMore

Interview with Iran expert Bahman Nirumand: "Everyone believed Khomeini's promises"Interview with Iranian dissident Abolhassan Banisadr: Selling the revolution on Book review: Mehrnousch Zaeri-Esfahani's "33 Arches and a Teahouse": A million butterflies in my head The influence of Iran′s religious foundations: Faith and profit enshrined

An injured girl waiting for medical treatment in the Syrian town of Duma (photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Syria′s traumatised children

The horror that never fades

Children in Syria are growing up as a traumatised generation. Many have never known life without war. Processing such experiences is extremely difficult, says psychologist Elise Bittenbinder in interview with Jeannette CwienkMore

Syrian refugee children: A lost generation in the making Syria's civil war: The emotional scars of the refugee children Disabled refugee children in Jordan: The lesser-known victims of war

Muslims in a mosque near Fréjus in France (photo: Getty Images/AFP/B. Horvat)

Book review: Fethi Benslama's book on the radicalisation of young Muslims

Islamic civilisation and its discontents

In his new book, recently published in German as "Der Übermuslim" (The Super-Muslim), the French-Tunisian psychoanalyst Fethi Benslama explores what drives young people to become radicalised. He concludes that they seek meaning, stability, orientation and identity in radical Islamism. By Herbert CsefMore

Hamza Meddeb on the "No Future" generation: Tunisia's ticking time bomb French Muslims against radicalisation: Fight the good fight Qantara dossier: Radicalisation

Waste collected by Moroccan "chiffonniers" (photo: ARD)

Waste separation and recycling in Morocco

Morocco's recycling pioneers

Morocco is exemplary in North Africa for its role in promoting the use of renewable energy such as wind and solar power. However, just like its neighbours, the country has a major problem with waste. A co-operative based just outside the capital has set out to change things. By Alexander Göbel in RabatMore

Recycle Beirut and Lebanon′s rubbish crisis: Green awakenings Islam and environmental protection: Embracing a greener Ramadan Eco-Islam pioneer Fazlun Khalid: "Allah does not love the wasters"Islam, environment and sustainability: "The environmental crisis is also a spiritual crisis"

Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im (photo: scholarblogs.emory.edu/aannaim)

Interview with Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im

"We are in the middle of a transformative process"

Islamic scholar Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im of the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, USA, has done extensive research into the ways in which Sharia can be reconciled with the modern secular state. Claudia Mende spoke to him about the different faces of the secular, the separation of state and religion in early Islamic history and why he feels Muslims are in the middle of a reformation processMore

Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im: "The future of Sharia is the secular state"Interview with Islamic studies scholar Armina Omerika: "Muslims need new ways to approach their religious heritage"Qantara dossier: Reform Islam

Cannabis cultivation in the Larache region of Morocco (photo: DW)

Attempts to decriminalise hashish in the Arab world

To legalise or not to legalise

In a number of Arab countries, people have launched campaigns to have hashish legalised. So far, their efforts have met with little success: there is still stiff opposition from both conservative politicians and religious circles. By Reda GhoneimMore

Drug dealing in Lebanon: At home with a drug baron Afghanistan: Drugs problem deeply ingrained in society Drug trafficking in Tajikistan: Fighting a losing battle Drug economy in Afghanistan: "It's a matter of development, not counter-narcotics"

The Kurdish football club Amedspor

"Disciplinary measures are unfortunately part of our team identity"

Despite fielding a succession of repressive measures, the Third-League club Amedspor from Diyarbakir is clocking up the sporting victories. For Kurdish fans from Istanbul to Hakkari, the team represents a beacon of hope in difficult times. By Sonja GallerMore

Football fan protests in Turkey and Egypt: Closed ranks The UEFA Cup 2016: The Teutonic preoccupation with race Egyptian football star Mohammed Aboutreika: Bridging a deep divide Muslim Sportswomen on the Rise: An Inspiration to Young Women around the World

Professor Ednan Aslan, professor for Islamic religious education theory at the Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Sciences at the University of Vienna (photo: dpa/picture-alliance)

Controversial study about Muslim kindergartens in Vienna

The unwelcome glare of publicity

According to a report in the Austrian weekly ′Falter′, Professor Ednan Aslan is said to have allowed civil servants working for the Austrian Foreign and Integration Minister Sebastian Kurz to manipulate his findings for political ends. Allegations he vehemently denies. A commission has now been set up to investigate. By Canan TopcuMore

Austria′s president and the Islamophobia debate: The courage of one man The Islam debate: The dual consciousness of Muslims Interview with the political scientist Farid Hafez: "An expression of institutional Islamophobia"

Author and journalist Wolfgang Bauer (photo: Wikimedia Commons, Schelm)

Non-fiction: ″Stolen Girls″ by Wolfgang Bauer

What hides in the woods

Satellite images of Duhu, Gubla or Gulak reveal little. A road flanked by scattered settlements runs through sparse terrain. Somewhat further away, the Sambisa forest. North-eastern Nigeria – home to the Islamist terrorist organisation Boko Haram, described by Wolfgang Bauer in his shocking and poignant reportage ″Stolen Girls″More

Islamists in Africa: The ever-present threat The rise of Boko Haram: When the terror began Interview with war photographer Andy Spyra: The pull of war

Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid

Innocence incarcerated

Mahmoud Abu Zeid, known as Shawkan, took some photographs at a Muslim Brotherhood demonstration. As a result he has spent almost four years in prison – without any verdict having been passed. By Karim El-GawharyMore

Reporters without Borders campaign "Freedom for Shawkan"Interview with Egyptian activist Ahmed Said: The scorpion's sting Tahrir Square's democracy activists: The forgotten heroes

Muslims and Jews take part in a Stop Trump demo in Berlin, February 2017 (photo: Salaam-Shalom Initiative)

The nature of Islam

Neither violence nor peace

The holy scriptures contain passages that can be used to justify both violence and peace. It depends entirely on us religious people what we do with this heritage, writes Armin LangerMore

The Reform Islam debate: Islam doesn′t need a Martin Luther!Interview with the Islamic scholar Ebrahim Moosa: The reinvention of Islam Non-fiction: Mustafa Akyol′s ″The Islamic Jesus″: The heart of the matter

Hajar Chenarani is one of 14 women to take up a seat in the Iranian parliament in 2017 (source: Hajar Chenarani.ir)

Iran and Saudi Arabia

Chalk and cheese

Iran and Saudi Arabia are more than just two regimes, they are also two societies. And these are fundamentally different. Charlotte Wiedemann assesses the differences, from their fundamental attitude to life, to the pace and scale of modernisationMore

Iran and Saudi Arabia: A plea for Islamic tolerance The Sunni-Shia debate: For clarity′s sake Iranian-Saudi relations: For better, for worse

Tolerance. Understanding. Coexistence: Oman's message of Islam

Oman's touring exhibition: ‘Tolerance, Understanding and Coexistence – Oman‘s Message of Islam’

"The aim of exchange is to reflect on the foundations of our thinking, a common morality and a common sense of justice," says Sheikh Abdullah al-Salimi, Omanʹs minister of religious affairs. "Only when we are aware of these similarities, while accepting cultural differences, will we and our children enjoy a peaceful future."More

Integration in Germany: The master barber of Berlin

A Palestinian barber puts his stamp on Berlin by transforming a rundown American school bus into a stylish barbershop on wheels. In this Al-Jazeera reportage, he reveals his recipe for real integration in Germany.More

Kumut Imesh: "Revenir", my flight revisited

On his flight from the Ivory Coast Kumut Imesh passed six countries before he reached Europe. Thirteen years later he set out to follow his route again – this time with a camera – to create the documentary "Revenir".More

The true nature of Germany's AfD

For four years Franziska Schreiber was the right hand of ex-AfD chairwoman Frauke Petry. According to Schreiber the AfD is a dangerous party dominated by "right-wing radicals".More

Project Syndicate: Deutsche Bank economist Elina Ribakova on the challenges of integration

Although integrating refugees and migrants has become a key policy priority in many countries, integration is rarely defined explicitly. But there are several indicators that can be used to gauge success, says EEMEA chief economist for the Deutsche Bank Elina Ribakova.More

The changing face of hijab: does the veil have a place on the runways?

Halima Aden, a hijab-wearing model from the United States, featuring a creation by designer Rasit Bagzibagli for Modanisa, an online retailer of modest fashion, poses for photographers, during a fashion show in Istanbul on 26 March 2018 (photo: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Pitarakis)

The hijab and veil are gaining prominence on the runways, but should these religious symbols ever be looked at through the lens of fashion? Hijabi journalist Eman Mustafa Bare explores the topicMore

Al Jazeera: Breaking down stereotypes in Molenbeek

At a Brussels gym founded by Moroccan migrants, young boxers counter stereotypes that their neighbourhood Molenbeek is a “hotbed of radicalisation”.More

Chef Kamel Hashlamon bridges Israeli-Palestinian divide with food

Palestinian chef Kamel Haslamon at work (photo: Kamel Hashlamon; Facebook)

Palestinian chef Kamel Hashlamon’s life has been filled with challenges, starting with his birthplace: East Jerusalem. Yet his culinary career has been defined by his ability to bridge differences between Palestinians and Israelis with his food.More

Mesut Özil's retirement from international football

Mesut Özil at the FIFA Word Cup 2018 (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Charisius)

In a trio of explosive tweets, Mesut Özil retired from international football and roundly attacked the German Football Association (DFB), its President Reinhard Grindel, and double standards in Germany's media and society. Özil's photo op with Recep Tayyip Erdogan was ill-advised, but the reaction to it, and his scapegoating by the German FA, is a sad tale of poor management with worrying xenophobic notes, writes Matt Pearson.More

Tunisian anti-litter activist takes up 300-km, 30-beach challenge

Mohamed Oussama Houij's Tunisian beach clean-up; here in El Madfoun, Hergla (source: Mohamed Oussama Houij's Facebook page)

27-year-old sanitary engineer and "long-distance activist" Mohamed Oussama Houij set out in July to walk a 300-kilometre stretch of coastline in northern Tunisia, cleaning up 30 beaches along the way.More

Afro.Germany - being black and German

"Where do you come from?" As an Afro-German, DW host Jana Pareigis was asked this question very often. In our film "Afro.Germany," she discusses with other people of color how they experience living in Germany.

Black and German: news anchor Jana Pareigis has spent her entire life being asked about her skin color. What is it like to be black in Germany? What needs to change?More

Forgotten stories: Muslims who saved Jewish people during the Holocaust

Muslims like Si Kaddour Benghabrit (shown here) saved many Jews from deportation (photo: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Even in the darkest times, there are heroes – though sometimes they may be the people we least expect.More

Helping erase IS terrorist ideology in Mosul

During the Islamic State group's rule in Mosul, radio stations were banned and replaced with broadcasts of extremist propaganda. Today, young Iraqis like Nour Tai are filling the city's airwaves.More

A modest place in the sun: Turkey's Muslim-friendly holidays

Guests enjoy the pool at Selge Beach Resort and Spa Hotel, a halal friendly holiday resort, in Manavgat near Antalya, Turkey 18 April 2018. (photo: REUTERS/Osman Orsal)

Turkey’s $26 billion tourism industry has been battered by security fears and political disputes in recent years but one corner of the market is quietly growing - beach holidays for conservative Muslims.More

Egypt's millennials turn to Sufism

Sufis celebrate the birth of Imam Al Hussain in Cairo's Sayeda Zeinab district (photo: DW/M. Hassanein Hamady)

In the fallout from Egypt's two most recent uprisings, and possibly in reaction to Wahhabist influence, young Egyptians are searching for spiritual fulfillment through a creed that has long been misinterpreted by mainstream IslamMore

Eminent Middle East historian Bernard Lewis dies at 101

Middle East historian Bernard Lewis (source: YouTube)

Bernard Lewis, a pre-eminent scholar of Middle Eastern history whose work profoundly shaped Western views of the region – including fears of a "clash of civilisations" – has died at the age of 101.More

The radicalising effect of prisons

Entrance to Vivonne prison, Poitiers, near Paris. The prison was the scene of a mutiny in autumn 2016 (photo: Getty Images/AFP/G. Souvant)

In overcrowded and dehumanising prison conditions, someone making a speech that is even the slightest bit comforting or inspiring can easily influence vulnerable minds, writes Jeremy Felkowski.More

Belgium: A model of integration

The town of Mechelen has blossomed into a model of integration in Belgium. The mayor's secret of success is more police and CCTV cameras along with more support for projects bringing migrants and Belgians together.More

Al Jazeera: The Muslims of Cuba

Al Jazeera's "Muslims of Cuba" feature (source: Al Jazeera)

How a new crop of neighbourhood entrepreneurs are helping spread awareness about a fledgling religious community.More

Ifa dossier: Flight and migration

"Solfar" sculpture by Jon Gunnar Arnason in Reykjavik (photo: Matt Lamers (CC0 1.0) via Unsplash)

Europe is still regarded as an eldorado by many seeking security and a better life. But what do those coming from Muslim countries expect of Europe? What hopes and dreams do they carry with them?More

New York Times: "Goodbye to the house my grandmother built"

Egyptian novelist Yasmine El Rashidi (source: YouTube)

Yasmine El Rashidi, author of "The Battle for Egypt: Dispatches from the Revolution" and "Chronicle of a Last Summer: A Novel of Egypt", writes about what it feels like to lose one’s childhood home, city and country.More

Goethe-Institut's Perspektiven: Generational conflict

Egypt, Algeria, Lebanon… six young women and men from six different countries put their individual views and experience with the generational conflict into words for this dossier.More

FEMYSO: Fighting Islamophobia

The Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations works to promote the development, understanding and respect of human rights across Europe, focussing specifically on tackling Islamophobia in all its forms and raising awareness about this ongoing problem.More

The rise of "bad civil society" in Israel

Protest by supporters of nationalist civil society organisation "Im Tirtzu" (source: YouTube)

Mirroring broader social trends within Israel, Israeli civil society is facing a growing conflict between the rising conservative nationalist social forces (CSOs) and the dwindling liberal and humanist camp represented by human rights organisationsMore

Hamza Hamouchene's "Paradises of the Earth"

Hamza Hamouchene, producer of the groundbreaking web documentary "Paradises of the Earth", talks about the reasons that led him to embark on this amazing project.More

How the Muslim world lost the freedom to choose

Women in Kabul during the pre-Taliban era (source: amnesty.org.uk)

A brave new book describes how Pakistan unravelled – and provides a blueprint for understanding declining pluralism across the Middle East.More