Islamism | Political Islam
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Recruitment strategies used by Islamic State
A mutation of religion
The crude promises of salvation and ideological constructs propagated by IS, and the apocalyptic fantasies it is spreading via films and magazines on the Internet make the terrorist militia attractive to radical forces not only in the Arab world but in Europe too. By Michael Kiefer
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The AKP's version of Turkish history
Contrasting interpretations of Gallipoli
Joseph Croitoru reports on how leaders in Ankara are putting an Islamist spin on centenary commemorations of the Gallipoli Campaign and how they seem to hope that these events will detract attention from another centenary occurring this week: that of the Armenian genocide
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Islam in Pakistan
The myth of the Muslim monolith
In Pakistan, a radical minority of Muslims has usurped the definition of "Islam". Since the 1980s, government policies have supported their radical and violent ideology, and the judiciary confirmed that trend. The bitter irony is that the militant groups that benefited from state action are now not only terrorising the people, but rising up against the state itself. By Maryam S. Khan
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Radical Islamist groups in Tunisia
Tunisian-style jihad
The recent high-profile attack on the Bardo National Museum in Tunis shines a spotlight on the radical Islamist network that has emerged in Tunisia since the fall of the Ben Ali regime. An analysis by Hanspeter Mattes of the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies
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Rising tension in Bangladesh
Fundamentalists take centre stage amid political discord
The recent murder of prominent Bangladeshi-born blogger Avijit Roy has once again shone a spotlight on the state of freedom of speech in the country. Experts believe that fundamentalists are gaining ground as the country spirals deeper into a political crisis. By Roma Rajpal Weiß
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Islam and religious freedom
Coercion leads to hypocrisy
Those who search the Koran for arguments in favour of intolerance and war will find what they are looking for – if they simply take the words literally and disregard their historical context. The Koran should not be read as a book, but as a discourse, says Halis Albayrak, head of the Institute for Koran Exegesis at the Islamic-Theological Faculty of the University of Ankara
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India and "Islamic State"
Indian Muslims not heeding the siren call of IS
IS's recruitment of fighters for the "holy war" in Syria and Iraq has long been an international problem. In India, home to the world's second largest Muslim population, the security forces are also alert to the issue. By Ronald Meinardus in New Delhi
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Interview with the Islam scholar Lamya Kaddor
Jihad as a form of youth protest
In her new book "Zum Töten bereit. Warum deutsche Jugendliche in den Dschihad ziehen" (Willing to kill. Why German youths are joining the jihad), religious education teacher and scholar of Islam Lamya Kaddor asks why some young Germans are attracted to the jihadi cause. Claudia Mende spoke to her about the radicalisation of young Germans
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Jihadism in Dagestan
A growing problem in the fight against terrorism
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia are known to be hotbeds of Islamist activity. For some time now, many young, radicalised Muslims have been leaving their homes in Europe and northern Africa to join the ranks of radical Islamist groups such as IS. However, little attention has thus far been paid to the number of jihadis coming out of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. By Kiran Nazish in Afghanistan
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"Islamic State" versus "Taliban Emirate"
One caliph too many
The IS terrorists' self-proclaimed caliphate does not recognise borders. For some time now, the black flags of "Islamic State" have also been sighted in Afghanistan. This is a direct challenge to their rivals from the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan", better known as the Taliban. By Emran Feroz
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After the murder of the pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh
Rage, not fear
Burning the pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh alive was meant to sow fear and discord in Jordan. It has in fact had the opposite effect. The Jordanian writer and literary critic Fakhri Saleh looks back on a harrowing and dramatic week in Jordan
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After the Copenhagen attacks
"We are not afraid"
The Copenhagen attacks are being regarded as a copy of the attacks in Paris a month ago. In this commentary, Barbara Wesel writes that freedom of speech, the separation of church and state, and gender equality are not negotiable, and that Muslims and non-Muslims alike must conduct a more open and critical debate about political Islam