Jihadism | Jihadists
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Salafists in Germany
A simple world view and the promise of paradise
Salafists in Germany have been on a recruitment drive for quite some time: handing out flyers and free copies of the Koran in city centres. They are also targeting young people at schools, on the Internet and anywhere where young people meet. How can young people be protected? By Arnfrid Schenk
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Turkey, IS and the Kurds
Powder keg on the Turkish-Syrian border
More than 200,000 people from Kobani have fled the IS onslaught and sought refuge in Turkey. But as the days pass, anger and frustration at what they see as Turkish inactivity is growing. More and more Kurds, from both Syria and Turkey, are now considering taking up arms not only against IS but also against Turkey should Kobani fall. By Kiran Nazish in Mursitpinar, Turkey
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Interview with Navid Kermani
"One should take the religious façade seriously"
The writer Navid Kermani spent a week in mid September travelling through Iraq, visiting a number of different parts of the country. In this interview with Kersten Knipp, he speaks of his impressions of the country and some factors that have led to the rise of IS in Iraq
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The international alliance against IS
No clear objective
The American strategy of conducting air strikes in Syria remains dubious and unclear. According to Karim El-Gawhary, air strikes can only be part of a broader military strategy, and the West needs to address the genesis of IS
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Military strikes against IS
Fragile alliance
The fight against IS is bringing East and West closer together and uniting the Arabs at the same time. However, it is possible that this alliance will only be of short duration. By Birgit Svensson in Baghdad
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Islamic State (IS)
A totalitarian, expansive and hegemonic project
Are we underestimating the scope of Islamic State (IS) by referring to it as a "terrorist militia"? IS raises taxes, recruits soldiers, pays officials and is keeping oil wells in operation. According to Volker Perthes, it would be more accurate to call it a jihadist nation-building project
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The Arab Spring and its enemies
The end of all hope
Ultimately, the Arab Spring was a failure because the movements fighting for freedom were faced with too many enemies who sought to quash the revolutions and thwart the efforts of the region's peoples to achieve greater democracy. An essay by the Syrian dissident Akram al-Bunni
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Interview with the Syrian writer Samar Yazbek
Divided society, divided souls
Samar Yazbek is a rebel. From an early age, she rose up against societal conventions, demanding her right to lead a free and self-determined life as a woman. When the revolution erupted in Syria in 2011, she was on the front lines of the struggle, but subsequently had to leave the country because of death threats. Claudia Kramatschek talked to her
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Interfaith dialogue in Palestine
Reviving a heritage of peaceful co-existence
In the village of Kafr Kana in Galilee, Mayor Mujahid Awawida wants to set an example and take a symbolic stand against IS terrorism and religious intolerance: he intends to construct a new complex that will house a mosque, a church and a park. Khaled Hroub has the details
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Islam and the modern age
Moving beyond dogmatic doctrine
Whoever equates Islam with Islamists has allowed themselves to be taken in by the radicals and ignores the fact that there are many liberal Muslims who have adapted their faith to the requirements of the modern world. By Rainer Hermann
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Outside intervention in Syria
Wanted: moderate, reliable rebels for fight against IS
The US wants to bolster the Syrian rebels in the fight against IS. But which of the groups is it supposed to support? Kristin Helberg examines three reasons why the search for suitable allies on the ground is not as straightforward as it seems
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Yazidis and Kurds in Iraq
Are we arming the right people?
We are told that the Kurds saved the Yazidis from IS terrorists, but the truth is far more complex than that. Yazidis also suffer frequent discrimination in Kurdish areas. Who can guarantee that German weapons will not one day be turned on this minority? By Patrick Franke