Most recent articles by Claudia Mende
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Interview with Ingrid Mattson″Muslim youngsters need genuine role models″
Muslim youngsters are often unsure as to the real nature of Islam. They need role models within their own communities who are prepared to stand up with self-confidence to extremist ideologies. Ingrid Mattson, a Canadian scholar in Islamic Studies and former president of the largest Muslim organisation in Northern America, spoke to Claudia Mende
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CrossCulture internshipsA catalyst for societal change
The CrossCulture programme run by the Institut fur Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) offers young professionals from Islamic countries the opportunity to work as an intern in Germany. Participants gain an insight into German culture and the country's work environment. The goal of the programme is to promote intercultural exchange and further professional development. By Claudia Mende
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Islamic approaches to non-violenceIn Gandhi's footsteps
Ever since the attacks of 9/11 and the rise of political Islam, the relationship between Islam and violence has presented a fundamental challenge for Muslims. Merely distancing itself from terrorism is not enough for an in-depth confrontation with the subject. Some voices on the Islamic spectrum are taking things further. They endorse a completely non-violent stance, and are also finding theological justification for their approach. By Claudia Mende
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Profile: Sudanese opposition politician Hassan al-TurabiThe grand tactician
Hassan al-Turabi is a man of many faces and one of the most dazzling personalities active in the sphere of political Islam. Over the course of his more than 40-year-long political career, he has surprised both supporters and critics alike with his frequent policy shifts. By Claudia Mende
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Interview with the Islam scholar Lamya KaddorJihad 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 Germans
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Interview with Karen ArmstrongIslamist violence is "in part a product of Western disdain"
Karen Armstrong, British scholar of comparative religion, finds that there is a long and inglorious tradition of distorting Islam in Europe. She criticises the notion that Islam is essentially more violent than Christianity and speaks about the genesis of Western disdain for the Arab world. Interview by Claudia Mende
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Interview with Zara Faris"Feminism is about stereotypes on how women should live"
Zara Faris is a British researcher and speaker of Kurdish/Pakistani descent. She has a quarrel with feminist theology, and her views on gender and Islam have provoked a lot of debate. Claudia Mende spoke to her about these subjects
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Study on attitudes in "Post-migrant Germany"Do you love Germany?
A new study entitled "Post-migrant Germany" set out to investigate attitudes on national identity in Germany. According to the results, these attitudes are ambivalent: people in Germany are open-minded, yet many in mainstream society have major reservations with respect to Muslim immigrants. By Claudia Mende
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The Congress "Horizons of Islamic Theology"A disintegration of Islam?
Academics from all over the world met to debate Islam at the congress "Horizons of Islamic Theology" in Frankfurt in early September. But the event was overshadowed by the acts of terror being perpetrated in the name of the faith by Islamic State and other extremist organisations. By Claudia Mende
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Interview with Farid Esack"Pluralist societies are about give and take"
Farid Esack is a Koran scholar and Islamic liberation theologian from South Africa. He is one of the most renowned Islamic thinkers of our time. Claudia Mende spoke to him at the recent international "Horizons of Islamic Theology" conference in Frankfurt
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Interview with Maha El-Kaisy-Friemuth"We urgently need reform within Islam"
What is the focus of a feminist Islamic theologian's work? And what is the best way to deal with controversial Koran verses in the modern day? Claudia Mende talked to Maha El-Kaisy-Friemuth, professor of Islamic Religious Studies at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
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Interview with theology professor Ömer ÖzsoyAcademic freedom takes precedence
New centres for Islamic theology have been established at five German universities in recent years. In 2007, Ömer Özsoy became the first Muslim theologian to be appointed as a professor at a German university. He teaches Koranic exegesis at the Goethe University in Frankfurt. In the debate on what direction Islamic theology should take in this country, he stresses above all the importance of academic freedom. Interview by Claudia Mende