Salafis | Salafism
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New Year′s Eve and Islam in Germany
A gift from the gods
What happened in Cologne is being instrumentalised on all sides. Islamist preachers such as Pierre Vogel and Muslim representatives in Germany are using the events to clalm that salvation lies, as ever, in the strict observance of religious rules. This is simply serving to widen the rift, writes Stefan Buchen
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A different take on Salafism
The power of provocation
Salafism. It's madness! It's the evil of our time! It's the decline of the West! These first, intuitive reactions are understandable. But in a second step, we should try to achieve a deeper and more self-critical insight into what this movement is all about. By Aladin El-Mafaalani
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Islamism in the Paris aftermath
The "Allah Generation": figment of the collective imagination
Many people fear that young refugees from Iraq or Syria are being recruited by Salafists in Western Europe. But the facts show that these fears are unfounded. By Michael Kiefer
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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 Riedel
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Hamed Abdel-Samads Buch "Mohamed: Eine Abrechnung"
From critique of Islam to post-Salafism
The Egyptian-German Hamed Abdel-Samad is one of Germany′s best-known Muslim media pundits – and at the same time one of the country′s most popular critics of Islam. Following a book on Islamic fascism, he has now brought out his ″reckoning″ with the prophet Mohammed. Yet Abdel-Samad remains wedded to the thought structures of Salafism, says Stefan Weidner in his book review
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Jihadist youths
Is Islam a radicalising force?
What role Islam as a faith plays in jihadism and the radicalisation of young Muslims is something that is rarely addressed. A contribution to the discussion by Dirk Baehr
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Book review: "Why I Am A Salafi" by Michael Muhammad Knight
An in-depth exploration of Islam
Novelist and essayist Michael Muhammad Knight is known for his provocative views. He has already written at length about his exploration of his faith. His latest book, "Why I Am A Salafi", delves even deeper. A complex and detailed book, it is nevertheless accessible, interesting for Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and dispels many misconceptions about Islam says Richard Marcus
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Tolerance and religious freedom in France
Fighting radical Islam with lessons in secularism
The French government wants to send imams and non-Muslim civil servants to classes in secularism and religious freedom in an attempt to prevent home-grown extremism and promote tolerance. Elizabeth Bryant reports from Lyon on a programme that is paving the way
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Book review: Sadakat Kadri's "Heaven on Earth"
What is justice?
This brilliantly written book on Sharia law by the Indian-born British lawyer Sadakat Kadri has been a huge success in Britain. "Heaven on Earth" provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the history of Sharia law from its origins to the present day, as well as the difficulties faced in its application. Now that it has been published in German translation, Stefan Weidner takes a look at this successful book
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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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Radical Islamist groups in Tunisia
Tunisian-style jihad
The recent high-profile attack on the Bardo National Museum in Tunis shines a spotlight on the radical Islamist network that has emerged in Tunisia since the fall of the Ben Ali regime. An analysis by Hanspeter Mattes of the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies
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After the attack on the Bardo Museum
Tunisia's darkest hour
The attack on the Bardo Museum has put Tunisia's young democracy to a crucial test. Conservative forces demand a severe crackdown against Islamists and thereby threaten to limit basic rights and freedoms. Attempts to address the real causes of terrorism are increasingly being overlooked in the process - with devastating consequences. By Ilyas Saliba