Al-Azhar
All topics-
Islam and violence
Self-proclaimed jihadists
Does Islam have a violence problem? With their terror in the name of Islam, the jihadists have plunged an entire world religion into a crisis of legitimacy. Although Islamic scholarship has mechanisms at its disposal to limit the violence, these are no longer effective in this current era of globalisation. By Claudia Mende
-
Politics and religion
The instrumentalisation of religion
Since time immemorial, religion has not only been used as an inspiration and a guide for life, but also as a way of furthering interests and achieving specific political ends. This instrumentalisation can be either intentional or unintentional. In this essay, Hakim Khatib looks at a number of countries where Islam has been instrumentalised in the recent past and examines the various different forms this instrumentalisation can take
-
Global strategies in the war on terror
Eliminate the breeding grounds
One of the reasons for terrorism is a world order that is out of whack, which no longer reacts appropriately to crises around the globe, writes Syrian publicist Mohammed Dibou. Neither ″national″ nor ″continental″ measures can offer the protection craved by the West's citizens
-
″Islamic State″: lessons learnt
What chance a Muslim reformation?
Muslims who describe IS as un-Islamic and declare that it has nothing to do with genuine Islam cannot deny that many of their fellow believers identify with the image of Islam promoted by the jihadists and their ideology. A thorough examination of the Muslim faith is long overdue. By Hakim Khatib
-
Arab reactions to the Paris attacks
Uneasy bedfellows in the fight against IS
Across the Arab world, there has been round condemnation of the attacks in Paris, which are generally viewed as retribution for the West′s engagement with IS in Syria. In this conflict, however, the Arab states don′t make for easy bedfellows. By Christoph Ehrhardt
-
Taha Hussein and the democratisation of education in Egypt
The sea of knowledge
The Egyptian author Taha Hussein warned as long ago as the 1930s that the future of Egypt depended on reforming its education system. His book "The Future of Culture in Egypt" is a plea for an enlightened, democratic and Mediterranean Egypt. By Andreas Pflitsch
-
Profile: Sudanese opposition politician Hassan al-Turabi
The grand tactician
Hassan al-Turabi is a man of many faces and one of the most dazzling personalities active in the sphere of political Islam. Over the course of his more than 40-year-long political career, he has surprised both supporters and critics alike with his frequent policy shifts. By Claudia Mende
-
Interview with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University
"What the Islamist armed movements are doing is wrong"
Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb is grand imam of al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of the highest religious instances in Sunni Islam. In an interview with Khalid El Kaoutit, he explains how the jihadists of Islamic State (IS) are abusing Islamic doctrine for their own purposes
-
Interview with Gudrun Kramer
Muslims must take a critical look at controversial passages in the Koran
The majority of Muslims are quite rightly resisting attempts by jihadists to co-opt their religion. Yet at the same, both jihadists and their opponents justify their arguments by quoting passages from the Koran. Ulrich von Schwerin spoke to the Islam Studies scholar Gudrun Kramer about the relationship between Islam and violence, the interpretation of the Koran and possible ways of combating jihadism
-
Islam and violence
Conservative Muslims refute the violence of IS
Does Islamic theology have the argumentative resources to counter the claim that violence perpetrated in the name of Islam is covered by verses from the Koran? Yes, says the Islam expert Katajun Amirpur, pointing to an open letter from Muslim scholars
-
Interview with Egyptian philosopher Hassan Hanafi
From Velvet Spring to military despotism
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 world
-
The German archaeologist and explorer Max von Oppenheim
Enchanted by the Myth of the Orient
Max von Oppenheim was an astute observer of the Near East. He was also captivated by its history, culture and way of life. In fact, Oppenheim's entire adult life is an illustration of how difficult it is to reconcile the captivating dream of the Orient with the sober political reality of the region – a difficulty that remains to this day. By Kersten Knipp