Radicalisation

Topic: Radicalisation

French soldiers patrol the subway in Marseille (photo: Reuters/J. P. Pelissier)

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 DorseyMore

Karim Benzema: The boy next door Cuspert the IS terrorist: Mortal dreams of paradise French reactions to IS terror: "What next? Will we ask Muslims to kneel?"

The rapper Deso Dogg at a recording session in 2004 (photo: imago/S. Lambert)

Cuspert the IS terrorist

Mortal dreams of paradise

In 2004, Denis Cuspert was still the Berlin rapper "Deso Dogg". Radicalised by the Salafist scene in Germany, he then joined IS, fighting for three years under the name Abu Talha al-Almani. Now reports are circulating claiming Cuspert has been killed. By Katja RiedelMore

The image policy of IS: Terror in the spotlight Recruitment strategies used by Islamic State: A mutation of religion The genesis of Islamic State: A new chapter in the decline of the Arab world

Cover of "The Kindness of Enemies" by Leila Aboulela (source: Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

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 TarbushMore

Jihadism in Dagestan: A growing problem in the fight against terrorism Curriculum initiative by British Muslims: Using religion to fight terrorism Minister's letter to British Muslim leaders: A deficit of trust British fatwa against IS: Breaking the spell of a poisonous ideology

Photo symbolising women and Islamic State (source: picture-alliance/dpa)

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 WeidnerMore

English translation and analysis of the al-Khansaa manifesto Interview with "Der Spiegel" reporter Christoph Reuter: The strategists of terror "Women of the Islamic State": Prisoners of a barbaric system Qantara dossier on Islamic State

Maya Yamout (left) and her sister Nancy (photo: private)

Preventing terrorism in Lebanon

Dialogue behind bars

The world is horrified by the brutality of Islamic State (IS). Two young sisters are now doing what they can to prevent young Lebanese people from joining radical Islamist groups. By doing so, they are risking their lives. Juliane Metzker reports from BeirutMore

Recruitment strategies used by Islamic State: A mutation of religion "Women of the Islamic State": Prisoners of a barbaric system Interview with the Islam scholar Lamya Kaddor: Jihad as a form of youth protest German jihadists: Turning their backs on the West Interview with Matenia Sirseloudi: What drives young people to jihad?

Interview with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University

"What the Islamist armed movements are doing is wrong"

Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb is grand imam of al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of the highest religious instances in Sunni Islam. In an interview with Khalid El Kaoutit, he explains how the jihadists of Islamic State (IS) are abusing Islamic doctrine for their own purposesMore

Islam and violence: Conservative Muslims refute the violence of IS British fatwa against IS: Breaking the spell of a poisonous ideology Calgary imams fight back against Islamic State recruitment Interview with Gudrun Kramer: Muslims must take a critical look at controversial passages in the Koran Al-Azhar and and pan-Islamic rationalism: The demise of Islamic centres of moderation

The hacked Facebook page of the French international broadcaster TV5Monde

The image policy of IS

Terror in the spotlight

In this essay, Felix Koltermann takes a closer look at the image policy of IS and how media and politicians around the world have reacted to it. He argues that in spite of the horror of the images being disseminated by IS, it is important not to fall into the rhetoric of a war of images, because the goal of such a rhetoric is to take pictorial acts as a justification for military actionMore

Recruitment strategies used by the Islamic State: A mutation of religion ISIS propaganda and use of social networks: The online jihad Independent media in Syria: Flourishing despite the violence Criticism of the media in the case of Syria: The perversion of the media machine

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 KieferMore

German jihadists: Turning their backs on the West Interview with the Islam scholar Lamya Kaddor: Jihad as a form of youth protest "Islamic State" versus "Taliban Emirate": One caliph too many "Women of the Islamic State": Prisoners of a barbaric system

Young Muslim women (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

Raising awareness about Salafism in German schools

Symbolic acts alone are not enough

What is the appropriate way to inform young Muslims in schools about the dangers of Salafism? In co-operation with the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, the association ufuq.de provides teaching materials on Islam, Islamophobia, Islamism and democracy. Gotz Nordbruch provides a personal account of preventive work in this fieldMore

Interview with the Islam scholar Lamya Kaddor: Jihad as a form of youth protest Young Muslims in Germany: Forget, but don't forget Study on attitudes in "Post-migrant Germany": Do you love Germany?German jihadists: Turning their backs on the West

Lamya Kaddor (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

Interview with the Islam scholar Lamya Kaddor

Jihad as a form of youth protest

In her new book "Zum Töten bereit. Warum deutsche Jugendliche in den Dschihad ziehen" (Willing to kill. Why German youths are joining the jihad), religious education teacher and scholar of Islam Lamya Kaddor asks why some young Germans are attracted to the jihadi cause. Claudia Mende spoke to her about the radicalisation of young GermansMore

German jihadists: Turning their backs on the West Salafists in Germany: A simple world view and the promise of paradise Interview with intelligence operative Benno Köpfer: "You're allowed to be a Salafist in Germany"The German Islam scholar Lamya Kaddor: Why I as a Muslim woman don't wear a headscarf

Manifesto published by Muslim intellectuals

For Islam and democracy

Muslim intellectuals have called on their fellow believers to indentify the failures of Muslim societies and develop an Islam for the twenty-first century. Loay Mudhoon believes that Europe should unreservedly support this effortMore

Original article: "Muslim Democrats of the World, Unite!"Qantara dossier: Reform Islam Islam and violence: Conservative Muslims refute the violence of IS

Female supporters of Islamic State (photo: dpa/picture-alliance/syriadeeply.org)

"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 SchroeterMore

Qantara dossier: Women in the Islamic World Interview with Gudrun Kramer: Muslims must take a critical look at controversial passages in the Koran Interview with Karen Armstrong: Islamist violence is "in part a product of Western disdain"

Women in Berlin protesting against the Paris attacks, January 2015 (photo: dpa)

Terrorism debate

The distortion of Islam

Why do terrorists such as those involved in the Paris attacks cite Islam as their motivation? Their actions have nothing in common with what most Muslims believe. By Daniel BaxMore

On Raif Badawi, Charlie Hebdo and non-violent Islamism: "We are all in this together, like it or not"Interview with the French imam Djelloul Seddiki: "Extremist groups want to impose on us a clash of civilisations"Muslims and the Paris attacks: "I distance myself from these murderers – not as a Muslim, but as a human being"Reactions to the Paris attacks: Religiousness is not the problem German jihadists: Turning their backs on the West Salafists in Germany: A simple world view and the promise of paradise

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai (photo: picture-alliance/Photoshot)

Global strategies for combating Islamic State

The intellectual battle against IS

The global financial crisis taught the world how profoundly interdependent our economies have become. In today's crisis of extremism, we must recognise that we are just as interdependent for our security, as is clear in the current struggle to defeat IS (also known as ISIS), writes Mohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumMore

Strategies for combating IS: Plea for a wide-angled view of the Arab World Islam and violence: Conservative Muslims refute the violence of IS The genesis of Islamic State: A new chapter in the decline of the Arab world The Syrian conflict and the fight against IS: Time to treat allies like allies

A Malaysian student studies the Koran in Hulu Langat near Kuala Lumpur (photo: MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Islam and violence

Conservative Muslims refute the violence of IS

Does Islamic theology have the argumentative resources to counter the claim that violence perpetrated in the name of Islam is covered by verses from the Koran? Yes, says the Islam expert Katajun Amirpur, pointing to an open letter from Muslim scholarsMore

Open letter to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and IS Sheikh Shawqi Allam's "The Ideological Battlefield" (PDF)Debate about the role of Muslims in fighting Islamist terrorism: IS is not just a Muslim problem Islam and the modern age: Moving beyond dogmatic doctrine

A Muslim man pictured from behind (picture-alliance/dpa)

German jihadists

Turning their backs on the West

How is it possible to stop vulnerable young people attracted by the siren call of religious salvation from becoming radicalised and joining IS? Prevention is difficult — sometimes even impossible. By Naomi ConradMore

Salafists in Germany: A simple world view and the promise of paradise Salafi Muslims: Doctrinaire severity Wahhabism and Salafism: Shared foundation – different methods Dossier: Salafis | Salafism

Topic: Radicalisation

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