Jihad
All topics-
Islam, Al-Azhar and the terrorists′ ideology
If the cap fits
Whenever a country is the target of a terrorist attack, the issue of whether the perpetrators were linked to Islam rears its head. As Assem Hefny argues, questions regarding the relationship between Egypt′s Al-Azhar mosque and university, terrorism and ideological extremism – though hurtful – should not be dismissed out of hand
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″Jihad Selfie″
No one is born a terrorist
Written and directed by Indonesian Noor Huda Ismail, ″Jihad Selfie″ takes an in-depth look at the reasons behind radicalism. It is a warning to parents and young people of how social media often functions as a breeding ground for IS fighters. By Edith Koesoemawiria
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IS terrorism in Europe
Glorifying terminology
Those who kill in the name of the IS and do an especially thorough job of it earn the honorary title "Inghimasi". Efficiency is everything here. Joseph Croitoru provides insights into the murderous strategies of jihadist suicide bombers
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France following the attack on Nice
Duty-bound to act
Terrorism is a threat to everyone in France. It′s not a case of ″us against them″: such attacks are also putting the future and safety of Muslims in Western societies in jeopardy. A commentary by Barbara Wesel
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Jihad and homosexuality: a history of entanglement
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Paris aftermath
Jihadists drive the wedge deeper
The latest attacks by IS are an attempt to exploit societal rifts at the heart of Europe. Without a concerted effort to address deep-seated and justified concerns relating to domestic social and economic policy, France′s retaliatory strikes are likely to achieve little. By James Dorsey
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Jihadism
Islamic State's perversion of "Hijra"
"Hijra" – originally the peaceful migration of Muslims to countries where they would be spared persecution – has been hijacked by the militants. Now it is serving to radicalise and recruit Muslims around the globe. By Rebecca Gould
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Book review: "The Kindness of Enemies" by Leila Aboulela
Crises of identity and loyalty from Scotland to the Caucasus
In her engrossing fourth novel, "The Kindness of Enemies", the Sudanese-British writer Leila Aboulela tackles themes of identity, jihad and Sufism. She does so through two parallel narratives, one set in contemporary Scotland and Sudan, the other in nineteenth-century Imperial Russia and the Caucasus. By Susannah Tarbush
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Turkish military operations against IS and the PKK
Erdogan's double strategy
After years of hesitancy, Turkey has begun launching airstrikes on IS positions in Syria. At the same time, Ankara has also deployed its air force against fighters with the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Analysts suspect that President Erdogan is now pursuing a strategy all his own. By Cigdem Akyol in Istanbul
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The IS manifesto for women
Baiting the jihadi brides
It is not only men who are joining the ranks of "Islamic State", women are too. Many are being encouraged to do so by the manifesto of the IS women's brigade al-Khansaa, which has been translated into English and German. Primarily aimed at Muslim women with limited education, the IS ideal is not very far removed from role models that prevailed in conservative social strata in the West until well into the twentieth century. By Stefan Weidner
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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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"Women of the Islamic State"
Prisoners of a barbaric system
Marriage at age nine is permitted, working is not; make-up is evil. A new treatise written by female supporters of IS sheds light on the image and role of women in the area controlled by Islamic State. By Prof Susanne Schroeter