SPIEGEL ONLINE - International - Islam

From Playboy to Politician: Imran Khan Takes on Pakistan's Old Guard

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:26:00 +0200

Cricket world champion and former playboy Imran Khan found his way to Islam through a mystic. Now he wants to become Pakistan's prime minister and free his country of corruption and the Americans.

Exiled After Threats: Blogger Wants More Freedoms in Morocco

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:10:40 +0100

After coming out as a secularist in Muslim Morocco, blogger Kacem El Ghazzali became the subject of harrassment and death threats. At a time when many young people go to college, he saw no choice but to apply for political asylum in Switzerland, where he has spent the past two years.

The Path to Radicalization: Following a German Salafist to Egypt

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:45:00 +0100

A year ago, a SPIEGEL editor met a Salafist in Hanover. Following several meetings in Germany, he traveled with him to his new home in Egypt. He could not have anticipated the danger he would encounter there.

French Muslim Leader on Papacy: 'A New Beginning Is Necessary'

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:22:00 +0100

Dalil Boubakeur is one of France's most prominent Muslims. In a SPIEGEL ONLINE interview, he discusses what retiring Pope Benedict XVI did wrong in bridging the Muslim-Catholic divide and how the two religions need to make a fresh start at interfaith dialogue.

Fortress in the Sky: Buried Christian Empire Casts New Light on Early Islam

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:56:00 +0100

Archeologists are studying the ruins of a buried Christian empire in the highlands of Yemen. The sites have sparked a number of questions about the early history of Islam. Was there once a church in Mecca?

Islamist vs. Secularists: The Post-Revolution Struggle for the Arab Soul

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 16:20:00 +0100

The rise of political Islam following the Arab Spring has many worried that the democratic achievements of the revolution could be lost. In Egypt and Tunisia alike, citizens are once again taking to the streets. But this time they are opposing Islamism. Does secularism still stand a chance?

'Allah Is the Best': The�Lives�Of Salafists' Wives

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:37:00 +0200

Salafist men wear beards, hand out copies of the Koran and cause headaches for Germany's domestic intelligence agency. But how do the women feel? SPIEGEL spends a weekend with two veiled women and learns about their vision of a perfect world.

Integration Debate: Merkel Urges More Tolerance�Towards Muslims

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:59:00 +0200

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on her fellow citizens to exercise more tolerance toward the country's 4 million Muslims, stating that Islam is part of Germany. People, she said,�need to be careful to differentiate between extremists and the religion itself.

Threat of Violence: Ban on Showing Anti-Islam Film�Unlikely

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 16:25:24 +0200

A right-wing populist group in Germany has sparked a heated legal debate with its plan to show the anti-Islam film that has inspired protest across the Muslim world.�Despite a�real threat of Islamist violence, experts say precedence indicates a ban on the event is unlikely.

'Innocence of Muslims': Governments and Islamists Exploit�Film Protests

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:05:00 +0200

The protests against "Innocence of Muslims" are not just spontaneous outbreaks of rage. Radical Islamists and governments are exploiting the unrest for their own ends. In the process, it is hard for moderate Muslims to make their voices heard. By SPIEGEL Staff

Fears of Violence: France Bans Protests of Muhammad Caricature

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 18:04:00 +0200

French government officials on Friday announced a strict ban on protests against insulting depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in a recently released US film and a Paris-based satirical magazine. Officials in Germany are also doing all they can to minimize tensions.

Reaction to Protests: Germany Closes Embassies in Muslim Countries

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:02:42 +0200

The German government expects further violence in the Muslim world following Friday prayers and will close its embassies in the region as a precaution. Personnel have been instructed to stay home and security may be increased in some places, the Foreign Ministry in Berlin�said on Thursday.

German Magazine Wades into Muhammad Affair: 'Muslims as Sword-Swinging Crazies? That's Racist'

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 17:00:32 +0200

Following on the heels of the French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo, the German publication Titanic in now also planning a Muhammad cover this month. Editor-in-Chief Leo Fischer speaks with SPIEGEL ONLINE about Western humor and the danger of attracting support from the right wing.

The World from Berlin: 'Most Muslims Want Freedom Rather than Slogans'

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:17:00 +0200

The decision by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo to publish Muhammad caricatures on Wednesday threatens to inflame the already tense atmosphere in the Muslim world. But German commentators argue that the Arab Spring proved that Muslims would rather have freedom than increased radicalism.

'Charlie Hebdo' Editor in Chief: 'A Drawing Has Never Killed Anyone'

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:28:00 +0200

The editor in chief of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo insists that their publication of Muhammad caricatures was no provocation, but a signal that free speech is alive and well in the country. Come what may, the magazine won't stop criticizing whatever it wants, he says. But his office remains under police protection.

Fear of Muslim Backlash: France to Shut Embassies Over Muhammad Cartoons

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:04:00 +0200

French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad on Wednesday, sparking fears of retaliation against French interests in the Muslim world. The government said embassies and schools will be kept shut in some 20 countries on Friday, the Islamic holy day.

Populist Provocation: Germany�Mulls Ban on Showing Hate Film

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 14:03:00 +0200

A populist group in Germany wants to publicly show the anti-Islam film "Innocence of Muslims," which is stoking a violent backlash across the Muslim world. Officials are reviewing whether they could ban the action, sparking a delicate debate over free speech and public order.

German Interior Minister on Anti-Islam Film: 'They Are Recklessly Pouring Oil on the Fire'

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:19:00 +0200

In a SPIEGEL interview, German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich talks about the failures of Germany's intelligence agencies in relation to the neo-Nazi terror cell, a possible attempt to ban the far-right NPD party and attempts by German right-wingers to provoke Muslims by showing "Innocence of Muslims."

The World from Berlin: Angry Mobs Part of Arab World's 'Search for Self'

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:18:30 +0200

As outrage continues to spread across the Muslim world in response to an anti-Islam film, Western embassies are bracing themselves for further violence. German commentators on Monday say that the protests are less about anti-Western sentiments than they are about finding a post-Arab Spring identity.

Tolerating Hate: Muslim Protests Show Limits of Free Speech

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:52:00 +0200

The anti-Islam film "Innocence of Muslims" has sparked protests across the Muslim world. Several people have already died in the wave of violence. The conflict raises questions about how far the West is prepared to go in defending freedom of expression. By SPIEGEL Staff