Salafis | Salafism
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Interview with political scientist Hugo Micheron
"The attack on Charlie Hebdo was a belated wake-up call"
Political scientist Hugo Micheron on the origins of Islamist terrorism in France, his conversations with jihadists – and on the trial now beginning against the perpetrators of the 2015 attacks. Interview by Nadia Pantel
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Islamic State on trial
Prosecuting IS returnees in Germany takes the law's longest arm
An increasing number of Islamic State returnees are standing trial in Germany, including female supporters of the terror group. To make their case, federal prosecutors are relying on international criminal law. By Matthias von Hein
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Islam in Germany
Anna, a young woman seeking love and Allah
Elke Muller is fighting for her daughter Anna, who fell in love with a young Afghan and converted to Islam. The mother spoke to Esther Felden about feeling alienated and her fear that Anna might become radicalised
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Essay by Islam expert Gilles Kepel
The new jihad and its mentors
Islamist attacks such as those that took place in Paris this last autumn evidence a new kind of perpetrator. In place of individual terror organisations, networks appear to have emerged that sermonise on the cultural rift and provoke radical acts. By Gilles Kepel
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Islamism in Germany
Fighting Salafists with YouTube satire
The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia is relying on wit and humour as an antidote to Islamist extremism. "Jihadi-Fool" is the name of a new YouTube channel targeting young people. By Louisa Wright
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Book review: Raja Alem's "Sarab"
Gender under siege in Mecca
On 20 November 1979, Islamic militants took over the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam. Hundreds were killed in the ensuing two-week siege. This pivotal event in modern Islamic history changed Saudi Arabia. It provides the backdrop for Raja Alem's new novel "Sarab", an extraordinary story of love, faith, violence and gender. By Marcia Lynx Qualey
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German-Saudi relations
A Salafist bone of contention
Ever since the Iranian Revolution Saudi Arabia has pushed a hardline Wahhabist model of religiosity, both in the Islamic world and among Muslim minorities in the West, in an attempt to prevent Shia expansionism. Yet Berlinʹs security concerns over Salafist extremism in Germany could easily re-ignite latent tensions with Riyadh. By Mahmoud Jaraba
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Salafism in Germany
Left-wing terrorist turned Islamist
Bernhard Falk is no stranger to prisons. A convicted left-wing terrorist, he spent 12 years behind bars. Now he looks out for imprisoned Islamists. Germany's domestic intelligence agency considers him a danger to society. By Matthias von Hein and Esther Felden
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From Germany to "Islamic State"
The metamorphosis of Christian L.
To Sabine Lappe, Christian was a dream child. But her beloved son became an IS terrorist who died in Syria. The bereaved mother shared her story with Esther Felden
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Salafism in Germany
Iʹll wear a niqab if I want
Children's life choices are often difficult for parents to endure and even more difficult to understand. Especially when they embark on a path towards Islamism. An encounter with an affected mother. By Matthias von Hein and Esther Felden
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Salafism in Germany
Battling radicalisation on the streets
Saloua Mohammed's most important tool in the fight against radical Salafism is listening – to parents whose kids radicalise online, to young people who rave about Salafism and to women returning to Germany after fighting alongside IS. By Esther Felden
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Sufism in Egypt
Sufis, sheikhs and charlatans
Sufism has a tradition going back centuries in Egypt. Now the government is coming out in support of the mystics in a bid to undermine Islamism. Some fear that the essence of the movement will be lost in the process – but there are other more unexpected by-products of the Sufi trend. Christian Meier reports from Cairo.