Topic: Islamophobia

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Cover of Fawzi Boubia's "West-Oestlicher Divan" published by PalmArtPress (source: publisher)

Fawzi Boubia's "Mein West-Oestlicher Diwan"

A tale of disappointed love

German-Moroccan philosopher and writer Fawzi Boubia has long acted as a mediator between East and West, building cultural bridges in multiple publications. His strongly autobiographical novel "Mein West-Oestlicher Diwan" takes a merciless look at Germany's political and cultural trends, while celebrating its cultural and intellectual past. By Volker KaminskiMore

Islam for the 21st century? Look no further than GoetheGoethe anniversary: Orient and OccidentFuad Rifka: At home in German thought
Hungarian President Viktor Orban and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (image: picture-alliance/Xinhua/M.I. Sellem)

Israel's right-wing

Flirting with anti-Semitism

Far-right politicians cite their support for Israel as proof that they are not anti-Semites. Yet the openly fascist members of Israel's government have more in common with Hungary's Viktor Orban than they do with diaspora Jews. Commentary by Ian BurumaMore

Israel at 75: A nation more divided than everIsrael's National Guard: Itamar-Ben Gvir's controversial plansIsrael's judicial reforms: Benjamin Netanyahu's autocratic turnWhen anti-Semitism and Islamophobia join hands: The racist vortex
Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf, centre, in Edinburgh (image: Jane Barlow/REUTERS

Scotland's first Muslim First Minister

How should we rate Humza Yousaf's appointment?

The first Muslim to lead a major political party in Scotland; Humza Yousaf is also the first Muslim to head a government in Western Europe. But the picture is not all rosy, and what happens at the level of the political elite does not necessarily reflect realities on the ground. Commentary by Shady Lewis BotrosMore

9/11 twenty years on: Muslims in the West – the cultural go-betweens Muslims in Europe: "For integration, read assimilation"Trojan Horse affair: Muslim Council of Britain calls for independent inquiry

India opposition and the Bharat Jodo Yatra

Rahul Gandhi marches for unity

From September 2022 to January 2023, Rahul Gandhi walked the length of India to demonstrate against Narendra Modi and the BJP's divisive policies and rhetoric. Sentenced to two years for 'Modi' defamation on 24 March, Gandhi has now been stripped of his parliamentary mandate. Sonja Hegasy met with political observer S. M. Faizan Ahmed, who joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra in DelhiMore

Indian democracy at 75: Narendra Modi’s damaging dominanceProtesting India's Citizenship Amendment Act: Muslim women of India risingIndian Muslim writer Sadia Dehlvi: "The soul of India is inclusive, pluralistic, and democratic"
Many marriages in India are still arranged by families based on religion or caste (image: Saurabh Das/AP/picture alliance)

Anti-Muslim agitation

India – Fighting the alleged 'love jihad'

Right-wing Hindu politicians in India are trying to mobilise against partnerships between Muslims and Hindus. In doing so, they are stoking fears of an alleged "love jihad". By Natalie MayrothMore

Hindu nationalism in India: India's hate-filled "saffron pop"Why do Indian expats in Europe still seek an arranged marriage?Qantara dossier: Muslim minorities
Suleman Malik in front of the new building of the Ahmadiyya mosque in Erfurt (image: Christoph Strack/DW)

Islamophobia in Germany

Muslims face everyday hate

Last Friday – 15 March – was the UN's International Day to Combat Islamophobia. In Germany, many of the 5.5 million-strong Muslim community say they experience discrimination every day. By Christoph StrackMore

Islamophobia: European Muslims face increased online and physical attacksAnti-Semitism and Islamophobia in Europe: The eternal MuslimMourning Mevlude Genc: A universal mother figure
Protests against the persecution of Muslims in New Delhi, June 2022 (image: Maneesh Swarup/AP/picture-alliance)

India and Pakistan

The legacy of colonial rule

India's ruling political party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is inspired by the ideology of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Its core philosophy revolves around the idea of a predominantly Hindu India that seeks a global leadership role. By Suparna BanerjeeMore

Identity politics: The pain of India's partitionIndia and Pakistan – 75 years of independence: A pair of troubled nationsModi's India: Authoritation pseudo-democracy in the making?
Sharma has devoted his life to championing the deeds of an Indian "patriot" -- the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi (image: Jalees ANDRABI/AFP)

Hindu nationalism

Gandhi's killer – a Hindutva hero

Hindu fundamentalist Ashok Sharma has devoted his life to championing the deeds of an Indian "patriot": not revered independence hero Mahatma Gandhi, but the man who shot him deadMore

Indian democracy at 75: Narendra Modi’s damaging dominanceRahman Abbas' "Zindeeq": Who's learning lessons from the Holocaust?Indian Muslim writer Sadia Dehlvi: "The soul of India is inclusive, pluralistic, and democratic"
A Hindu bride and a Muslim groom during a mass wedding in Calcutta (image: Pacific Press/picture-alliance)

Hindu nationalism

Interfaith marriage in India – a dangerous undertaking

Citing archaic "anti-conversion" laws, right-wing Hindu groups are working to prevent marriages between Indian Hindus and Muslims. Some couples have faced violence and death threats. Murali Krishnan reports from New DelhiMore

The "India Love Project" on Instagram: Fighting hate with loveIndian Muslim writer Sadia Dehlvi: "The soul of India is inclusive, pluralistic, and democratic"Hindu nationalism in India: India's hate-filled "saffron pop"
Victims of the partition riots in Delhi in August 1947 (source: dandc.eu)

Identity politics

The pain of India's partition

India’s partition in 1947 continues to evoke strong emotions even after seven decades. Entrenched identity politics, arguably a product of colonial rule, saw Hindus pitted against Muslims. Collective trauma was the result, deepening the faith divide on both sides of the border. By Suparna BanerjeeMore

The Indian subcontinent's colonial heritage: Divide and conquerModiʹs identity politics: Islamophobia threatens to engulf IndiaQantara photo essay: "Partition of India: the way forward"
The green dome of the Prophet's Mosque, Medina, Saudi Arabia (photo: AFP via Getty Images)

The Prophet Muhammad

Oxford study sheds light on Muhammad's "underage" wife Aisha

New scholarship suggests the story of Islam's prophet marrying a minor is baseless propaganda fabricated for political and sectarian motivesMore

Female scholars in Islam: Unsung guardians of the "true" traditionAmina Wadud's "Qur'an and Woman" revisited: "Inequality between men and women is contrary to Islam"Interview with Dina El Omari on feminism and Islam: "Muslim women need space for critical self-reflection"Interview with Sherry Jones: "My Novel Presents a Bold Aisha"
World Cup fans from Ecuador holding "I love Qatar" placards (photo: dpa/picture-alliance)

Politics, Qatar and FIFA

Is criticism of Qatar's World Cup racist?

Locals in the Middle East have said European critics are showing bias and hypocrisy when they condemn Qatar. Observers agree that Qatar has had to deal with more criticism than usual for a World Cup host. Cathrin Schaer and Emad Hassan ask whyMore

Qatar and FIFA World Cup 2022: The limits of liberalisation2022 FIFA World Cup and human rights: Pointing the finger at Qatar's rulers is not enoughQantara dossier: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
Canan Topcu in 1972 in Turkey, shortly before her migration to Germany. She stands beside her class teacher on the school grounds in Gemlik, south of Istanbul (photo: private)

Integration versus racism

I don't see myself as a victim

Canan Topcu came from Turkey to Germany as a child. In her essay, she describes how bothered she was by the racism she encountered in her country of origin when she travelled there recently. She describes her very personal take on identity, racism and exclusionMore

Integration in Germany: Finally growing upDaughters and Sons of Gastarbeiters writers′ collective: "When I go to Germany, I will buy a red tractor" 55 years of German-Turkish labour recruitment: Integration is a crossroadsWhat it means to be German: Recognise the potentialIslamisation, a racist conspiracy theory: The hatred of Hanau and its enablers
Mevlude Genc a pioneer for peace and tolerance (photo: Bernd Thissen/dpa/picture-alliance)

Mourning Mevlude Genc

A universal mother figure

A survivor of a neo-Nazi hate crime, Mevlude Genc's boundless compassion served as an inspiration to an entire generation. Sertan Sanderson explores how her death is a loss for Germany and TurkeyMore

Islamisation, a racist conspiracy theory: The hatred of Hanau and its enablersDogan Akhanli: "The tradition of looking the other way"60 years German-Turkish Recruitment Agreement: German-Turks take the arts by storm
Kuljeet Kaur, left, helps arrange a potluck lunch of Indian dishes in the kitchen of Meena Natarajan in Minneapolis on 09.10.2022. Kaur, who’s Sikh, and Natarajan, who comes from a Hindu family, gather monthly with other Indians in Minnesota in an interfaith group aimed to prevent religious tensions in India from spilling over into U.S. diaspora communities (photo: AP Photo/Giovanna Dell’Orto)

Hindu nationalism abroad

Fighting religious polarisation among India's diaspora

Indian Americans from diverse faith backgrounds have peacefully co-existed stateside for several decades. But events in the U.S. – and violent confrontations between some Hindus and Muslims last month in Leicester, England – have heightened concerns that stark political and religious polarisation in India is seeping into the diasporaMore

Hate propaganda in India: Modi opponents labelled 'anti-national'Indian Muslim writer Sadia Dehlvi: "The soul of India is inclusive, pluralistic, and democratic"Indian democracy at 75: Narendra Modi’s damaging dominance
Official opening of Gifhorn's "Christian-Muslim" kindergarten (photo: © Braunschweiger Zeitung 2018)

Interfaith cooperation and integration

Germany’s first Christian-Muslim kindergarten

Despite early learning being linked to better chances in later life, Muslim parents in Germany are currently less likely to send their kids to kindergarten. A pioneering interfaith project in Gifhorn presents an appealing alternative, promoting integration in partnership with local church and state actors. Arndt-Walter Emmerich reportsMore

Christian-Muslim dialogue in Germany: Together in the search for GodMathias Rohe on the muezzin call: "Traditional religious practice is not political Islam"Islam in Germany: Imam Idriz – "We need to allow controversial discussion"Islam in Germany: Countering the Islamisation hysteria

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