Koran | Quran
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The Islamic reformer Ibn Tumart
The man who changed the course of Islamic history
Ibn Tumart is considered the spiritual founder of the Berber dynasty of the Almohads in the twelfth century. His once revolutionary ideas sent shockwaves through the entire Arab world, ultimately resulting in violent tensions. By Mohamed Yosri
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Interview with historian David Motadel
Hitler′s Muslim stop-gaps
During the Second World War, tens of thousands of Muslims fought on the side of the National Socialists. In interview with Nastassja Shtrauchler, historian David Motadel examines the attitude of Hitler and the Nazis towards Islam and Muslims. Interview by Nastassja Shtrauchler
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Non-fiction: ″Religious criticism around 1900″
Middle Eastern philosophy's take on Islam
How is the relationship between science, philosophy and religion discussed in the Muslim world, beyond the well-known dictum that Islam rules its states and societies and therefore also determines its morality and aesthetics? A new series by Berlin-based publishers Klaus Schwarz addresses this question. By Sonja Hegasy
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Atheism in the Arab World
The dictators' scourge: Of 'heresy' and humanists
Posing as guardians of the faith, many Arabic regimes abuse their religious power in order to compensate for their states′ lack of democratic legitimacy. Hardly surprising, then, that they regard as atheism as an existential danger. Essay by Brian Whitaker
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Environmental protection in Islam
Patterning nature
What indicators of environmental protection and species conservation can be found in Islamic theology, the Koran and other Islamic lore? Answers from Muna Tatari, professor at the Seminar for Islamic Theology at the University of Paderborn
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Interview with Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im
"We are in the middle of a transformative process"
Islamic scholar Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im of the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, USA, has done extensive research into the ways in which Sharia can be reconciled with the modern secular state. Claudia Mende spoke to him about the different faces of the secular, the separation of state and religion in early Islamic history and why he feels Muslims are in the middle of a reformation process
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Johann Gottfried Herder and the Orient
Faith as silent spirituality
All his life, the German philosopher and poet Johann Gottfried Herder grappled with issues of the Orient and Islam, preaching his vision of a society shaped by humanity, tolerance and the individual, spiritual practice of faith. By Melanie Christina Mohr
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Interview with Islamic studies scholar Armina Omerika
"Muslims need new ways to approach their religious heritage"
The German Evangelical Church′s relationship with Luther shows Muslims that it′s possible to find and develop a way of engaging critically with your own religious tradition, says Islamic studies scholar Armina Omerika in interview with Canan Topcu
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Interview with Imam Benjamin Idriz
Questioning tradition
Muslims are not only permitted to ask critical questions of their theology; it is actually necessary – the opinions of scholars distort the view of the Koran, says Benjamin Idriz, imam of the mosque in Penzberg, Upper Bavaria, in conversation with Claudia Mende
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Interview with Islam researcher Nina Kasehage
"Not all jihadists are the same"
Nina Kasehage has conducted 175 interviews with Salafists across Europe. This has given her a deep insight into their lifestyle and way of thinking. She finds it regrettable that the whole group gets tarred with the same extremist brush. Interview by Diana Hodali
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Mustafa Akyol′s ″The Islamic Jesus″
The heart of the matter
Turkish journalist Mustafa Akyol′s latest book ″The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews became a prophet of the Muslims″ is a thought-provoking read, challenging not only the Church′s ascription of Godhead to Jesus, but also the Islamic fixation with God′s law rather than His intention. Lucy James read the book
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Sufis targeted in Pakistan
The dance goes on
The attack on the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in the Pakistani city of Sehwan struck the country's mystics at the heart of their religious practice. Like no other holy site in Pakistan, the shrine is a symbol of the religious pluralism that is deeply rooted in this nation. By Marian Brehmer