Muslim intellectuals have called on their fellow believers to indentify the failures of Muslim societies and develop an Islam for the twenty-first century. Loay Mudhoon believes that Europe should unreservedly support this effortMore
Rachid Ghannouchi is the leader of Tunisia's Ennahda Party. He was recently awarded this year's Ibn Rushd Prize. Daniel Bax and Tsafrir Cohen spoke to him about his country's liberal constitution, the freedom to cast off religion, and Tunisia's pioneering role in the Arab world that highlights the compatibility of Islam and democracyMore
The renowned Tunisian-French writer and Islam expert Abdelwahab Meddeb died of cancer in Paris on 6 November 2014. He was 68. Obituary by Bettina DavidMore
Renowned Egyptian philosopher Hassan Hanafi believes it is too early to declare the Arab Spring revolutions a failure. In an interview with Moncef Slimi, he explains why fundamental religious reforms are now necessary in the Arab worldMore
It is now plain for all to see that the destruction of Syria's cultural heritage is far worse than anyone expected. Michel al-Maqdissi, director of the Archaeological Excavations Department at the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums from 2000 to 2012, tells Mona Sarkis how dire things really are and of the mistakes made by UNESCOMore
IS is a child of the late cold war and at the same time the beginning of a total war against the countries of the Arab East. It is the consequence of a collapse of political, moral and social values in the region, writes the Lebanese author Elias KhouryMore
When the First World War began 100 years ago, German advisers in the Ottoman Empire were a common sight. The Ottomans hoped their alliance with the military power Germany would help them reverse their waning military fortunes. In the end, however, they lost their entire empire as a result of the conflict. By Jakob KraisMore
Whoever equates Islam with Islamists has allowed themselves to be taken in by the radicals and ignores the fact that there are many liberal Muslims who have adapted their faith to the requirements of the modern world. By Rainer HermannMore
What is the focus of a feminist Islamic theologian's work? And what is the best way to deal with controversial Koran verses in the modern day? Claudia Mende talked to Maha El-Kaisy-Friemuth, professor of Islamic Religious Studies at the University of Erlangen-NurembergMore
The history of the Caliphate is, with a few exceptions, an unstable and unhappy one. In this essay, Stefan Weidner explains why the self-appointed caliphs of today, like the ISIS leader in Iraq, have little in common with the caliphs of oldMore
Cultural barbarism prevails in the territories declared a "caliphate" by the radical Islamic group ISIS. The sad irony of this is that its members are even destroying monuments to the companions of Muhammad, whom they themselves supposedly revere. Joseph Croitoru reportsMore
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) has been active in Syria for two years now. It currently has around 5,000 fighters there – and the numbers are growing. Aron Lund, who has written studies on Syria's fighter landscape for the Swedish Institute for International Affairs, explains the terrorist organisation's strategies to Mona SarkisMore
Iraq is in the grip of a devastating inner-Islamic religious war. The conflict has an inherent dynamic that cannot be stopped by presidential wishful thinking or a hurried visit to Baghdad by US foreign minister John Kerry. Stefan Buchen commentsMore
Hamed Abdel-Samad's book "Der islamische Faschismus" (Islamic Fascism) is not a serious analysis, but a platitude-laden polemic against political Islam. Ironically, the book shows that its author has more in common with the people he is criticising than he realises. By Daniel BaxMore
In terms of politics, economics, religion and culture, the paths of the Arab states diverge. The once proclaimed unity between them has been consigned to the history books. Only one thing still binds them together: the Arabic language. By Kersten KnippMore
A new six-volume work entitled "A History of the World" is the high point of a historiographical boom in the discipline known as "global history". The project attempts to overcome the eurocentrism of traditional writings of history. By Andreas PflitschMore
Muslims all over the world are currently observing Ramadan. The month of fasting is supposed to be all about reflection, meditation and abstention - but Ramadan is becoming increasingly commercialised.
The German Islam Scholar Lamya Kaddor
Why I as a Muslim Woman Don't Wear a Headscarf
Jordan and the influx of refugees
The true Samaritans
Muslims in Liberal Democracies
Why the West Fears Islam
The decline of Islamic scientific thought
Don't blame it on al-Ghazali
The Media and ''The Innocence of Muslims''
Against the Islamisation of Muslims
Junaid Jamshed
"I Was a Sinner for Years"