Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

Why are predominantly Muslim countries lagging behind when it comes to democracy and human rights? Dutch sociologist Ruud Koopmans uses a lot of figures to underpin his theory that it is all down to religion. According to Daniel Bax, however, his approach is rather too simplisticMore

Many predominantly Muslim countries have penal laws against "blasphemy", "defamation of religion" and "apostasy". In practice they serve as highly effective weapons to settle personal animosities, family vendettas and land disputes. By Thomas KrapfMore

A recent knife attack on the security minister of Indonesia is a reminder of the danger of Islamist extremism in Southeast Asia. Security measures alone are not enough to combat radicalisation, say experts. By Rodion EbbighausenMore

Across 10 countries with significant Muslim populations surveyed by Pew Research Center in 2015, there is a striking difference as to the extent to which people think the Koran should influence their nation’s lawsMore

Thousands of minority Rohingya Muslims remain stranded at sea without adequate food and water. On Wednesday, 20 May, Malaysia and Indonesia finally bowed to mounting international pressure, announcing that they would offer refugees temporary shelter provided that they are resettled and repatriated by the international community within a year. Roma Rajpal Weiß spoke to Phil Robertson, the deputy director of Human Rights Watch in Asia, who condemned the policy of the countries of South-East AsiaMore

One in every two people in Germany believes that Islam is not part of German society. Until this attitude changes, the Islam we see in the evening news and not the actual reality of Islam in Germany will remain for many the genuine face of Islam. In this essay, Charlotte Wiedemann takes a closer look at Muslim women in Germany and shows how drastically they differ from the prevailing image of Islam in this countryMore

The tiny sultanate of Brunei is the first country in South-East Asia to officially impose Islamic Sharia law at national level. Roxana Isabel Duerr considers what this means for Brunei and the development of Islam in the regionMore