Islamism | Political Islam
All topics-
Discourse and our terms of reference
Politics and religion in Islam – one world or two?
A heated debate is raging in the Islamic world about whether the religious and political spheres in Islam are one and the same. Before this matter can be settled, the terms "religion" and "state" have to be clarified, says Syrian writer Morris Ayek. This, he says, is the only way to avoid misunderstandings
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Arab states
Pandemic shines a light on the Gulf's three-way split
With Ramadan over and coronavirus hopefully on the wane, Bader Al-Saif takes a look at how divisions dating back to the June 2017 blockade of Qatar shaped the region's contrasting approaches to political messaging and public health in a time of both crisis and observance
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Interview with pioneering Islamic thinker Fehmi Jadaane
What is the essence of Islam, and does it need reforming?
Renowned Jordanian Islamic scholar Fehmi Jadaane vehemently objects to the transformation of Islam into an ideology. The religion ends up mired in a political swamp, he says, its message nothing more than an instrument of governance. Interview by Alia Al-Rabeo
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A truly international conflict
How can Europe help prevent the carving-up of Libya?
Having forfeited any real influence in Libya, Europe needs to look to the judicial use of sanctions. Curbing Russian influence and drawing support away from Haftar is essential if the unity of the country is to be preserved, writes Wolfram Lacher
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Islamic State on trial
Prosecuting IS returnees in Germany takes the law's longest arm
An increasing number of Islamic State returnees are standing trial in Germany, including female supporters of the terror group. To make their case, federal prosecutors are relying on international criminal law. By Matthias von Hein
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COVID-19 in Southeast Asia
Coronavirus and Pakistan's wayward clerics
The fact that Pakistani politicians are closing their eyes to the machinations of religious forces during the corona crisis is the result of decades of a policy of appeasement towards the clerics, says Mohammad Luqman
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Syria and Iraq
Islamic State seeking to profit from coronavirus pandemic
From advisories against travel to calls for a new jihad, Islamic State sees the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to exploit. The militants, however, are no more immune to the virus than anyone else. By Lewis Sanders IV & Tom Allinson
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U.S.-Taliban peace deal
Bleak days in Afghanistan
Developments in recent days have revealed – unsurprisingly – that Donald Trump's recent "peace deal" with the Taliban is barely worth the paper it was written on. What is clear, however, is that the next president of Afghanistan, whoever that may be, will inherit a nation that has long since ceased to function. Emran Feroz reports from Mussahi
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Ruud Koopman's "Das verfallene Haus des Islam"
Cherry-picking for a distorted image of Islam
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 simplistic
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Islamism in Germany
Preventing radicalisation in prisons
The terror attacks in Paris, Brussels and Berlin were all carried out by men radicalised in jail. In Germany, politics and the judiciary are trying out new approaches to prevent inmates from becoming extremists. By Esther Felden and Matthias von Hein
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Essay by Islam expert Gilles Kepel
The new jihad and its mentors
Islamist attacks such as those that took place in Paris this last autumn evidence a new kind of perpetrator. In place of individual terror organisations, networks appear to have emerged that sermonise on the cultural rift and provoke radical acts. By Gilles Kepel
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Interview with the Moroccan thinker Hassan Aourid
Democracy cannot be stopped
Hassan Aourid is one of the most important political and intellectual figures in Morocco. In interview with Ismail Azzam for Qantara, Aourid outlines his vision of the decline of political Islam and the future of democracy and human rights in the Maghreb