Media
Mention
09 June 2015
Uncertainty follows Turkish election
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Demir Murat Seyrek is mentioned in the Austrian daily financial newspaper WirtschaftsBlatt, where he comments on the new government coalition created after the Turkish parliamentary elections, which marked the end of the ruling AKP one-party government....
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Op-Ed
08 June 2015
Turkey votes – Part II: All shook up-A first assessment of Turkey’s post-election political landscape
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Demir Murat Seyrek and Amanda Paul, European Policy Centre (EPC) Senior Policy Analyst published a commentary on the recent Turkish electoral results of June 7....
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Interview
Interview
08 June 2015
We speak far too infrequently about political topics
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in Germany’s Der Tagesspiegel newspaper on rising anti-Semitism a...
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Op-Ed
03 June 2015
Turkey’s 7 June parliamentary elections – Part I – A pivotal moment for Turkey’s future
On 7 June, Turks will head to the polls to elect a new parliament. This election is a pivotal moment for Turkey’s future, with two battles being played out. EFD Senior Policy Advisor, Dr. Demir Murat Seyrek and Amanda Paul of the European Policy Centre have released a commentary on the many facts of Turkey's parliamentary election....
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Interview
22 May 2015
ISIS destroys our heritage. Our culture is ignorance for them.
In an interview with Italian newspaper Giornale di Sicilia, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo comments on the attack on the Syrian city of Palmyra by the militant group Islamic State. She highlights that, despite the general disapproval of IS, many Islamic groups would be opposed to Western intervention....
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Article
21 May 2015
Put a Saudi Arabian at the Book Fair
In light of recent human rights concerns in Saudi Arabia EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo comments on the presence of this country at the International Book Fair that will be hold next year in Turin....
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Article
17 May 2015
The death penalty does not stop Islamists
"On 16th May, Cairo Criminal Court sentenced the former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and 106 members of the Muslim brotherhood to death". EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo analyses the consequences of this decision and stresses the need for reform at the basis of the Egyptian society and economy....
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Interview
03 May 2015
“Islamists often plan attacks together with family members”
Following a foiled terror attack in the German town of Oberursel, EFD Programme Director is interviewed in Die Welt newspaper on the radicalisation process and the urgent requirement for greater State level support in the prevention work....
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Article
30 April 2015
Between religion and tradition: Gender roles, sexuality and honour
An article by EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour on gender roles, sexuality and the concept of honour is published in the current edition of Germany’s Der Bürger im Staat....
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Mention
23 April 2015
Counter-radicalisation symposium in Vienna
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is among a number of international experts invited to take part in today’s counter-radicalisation conference at the Austrian Ministry of Justice....
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Mention
23 April 2015
Islamists spread fear in prisons
Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung reports on a symposium held by the Austrian Ministry of Justice to address the phenomenon of Islamic radicalization in state prisons....
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Mention
23 April 2015
Prevention ‘has to move faster than the Salafists’
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is quoted in a report in Austrian newspaper Die Presse on how to combat Islamic radiclisation in state prisons....
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Interview
23 April 2015
Psychologist on Islamism
Following a symposium at the Austrian Ministry of Justice on preventing Islamism in state prisons, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour appears on Austrian national news to discuss the radicalisation process, and what needs be done both in the Muslim community and in mainstream society to safeguard young people from the violent ideology....
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Mention
23 April 2015
Rising number of Islamists in Austria’s prisons
Austrian newspaper Der Standard reports on a symposium held by the Austrian Ministry of Justice to address the phenomenon of Islamic radicalization in state prisons. EFD Programme Director, who was among the international experts invited to take part in the conference, is quoted in the article: “in many cases, the Salafists prove to be the better social workers.”...
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Article
14 April 2015
Don’t play it down! Trivialising the threat of radical Islam hinders effective prevention work
In an article published by Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour calls for German policy makers to ensure that the debate about radicalisation is conducted carefully and thoroughly, without stoking hate or inciting fear....
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Interview
13 April 2015
Islam does not justify the massacre or the destruction
In an interview with Italian newspaper Il Giornale di Sicilia, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo highlights the absence of Islamic religious authorities as the major cause of misinterpretation of the Koran....
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Broadcast
11 April 2015
What are you posting online?
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is featured on German radio in a piece which looks at ways to curb online radicalisation....
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Interview
08 April 2015
The youngsters who are waging Jihad are just the tip of the iceberg
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour states that the fact that youth from all social classes are vulnerable to radicalisation, and that the propaganda proliferated by ISIS is sophisticated and tailored to the interests and concerns of young people....
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Press Release
03 April 2015
Garissa University (Kenya) students have been killed by the indifference of the West
“The deafening silence of intellectuals, universities, professors and scholars about the Garissa University College massacre fills us with dismay” Alberto Gambino, Director of the Department of Human Sciences at the European University of Rome and Valentina Colombo, Professor of Culture and Geopolitics of Islam and Senior Fellow at Brussels-based European Foundation for Democracy say in a press release issued on the 3rd April 2015....
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Interview
26 March 2015
ISIS and Foreign Fighters
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino elaborates on the wave of violent radicalisation among European youth. He identifies the cause of this phenomenon as an identity issue rather than economic and social hardship. He analyses the consequences of radicalisation, as well as the solutions implemented by the United Kingdom since the 2005 attacks....
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Mention
26 March 2015
Leading author calls for ‘attack on all fronts’ against Islamic fundamentalism
The Brussels-based EU Reporter features a report on the public briefing organised by the European Foundation for Democracy and hosted by Julie Ward MEP (UK S&D) on 25th March 2015, "How to deconstruct the radical narrative? An alternative discourse of Academics and Activists of Muslim Heritage." The article presents an overview of the discussion as well as the views outlined by Karima Bennoune, Professor of international law at the University of...
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Mention
26 March 2015
Muslim academics praised for “tireless” work tackling radical Islamist narratives
The Brussels-based EU Today features a detailed report on the public briefing organised by the European Foundation for Democracy and hosted by Julie Ward MEP (UK S&D) on 25th March 2015, "How to deconstruct the radical narrative? An alternative discourse of Academics and Activists of Muslim Heritage." The article presents an overview of the discussion as well as the views outlined by Karima Bennoune, Professor of international law at the Universi...
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Mention
25 March 2015
Terrorism and the answer of universities
The Italian Brescia Oggi features a report on the public briefing organised by the European Law Students' Association (Brescia) in collaboration with the European Foundation for Democracy and Amnesty International on 24th March 2015, “International terrorism: new approaches and new strategies”....
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Broadcast
24 March 2015
Jihad on their minds
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is featured in a documentary broadcast on German television about the biographies of young Muslims who have become radicalised and, in some case, travelled to Syria in the name of jihad....
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Mention
24 March 2015
Terrorism: new approaches
The Italian Teletutto features a report on the public briefing organised by the European Law Students’ Association (Brescia) in collaboration with the European Foundation for Democracy and Amnesty International on 24th March 2015, “International terrorism: new approaches and new strategies”....
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Interview
22 March 2015
Interview with EFD’s Valentina Colombo on the Islamic State
In an interview with Commodities Trading, an Italian media outlet focusing on international business and finance issues, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo explains what the so-called Islamic State (IS) is and how it is able maintain its power base in the Middle East....
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Article
19 March 2015
A blow to the heart of Tunisia
EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo discusses the consequences of the Bardo National Museum attack in Tunisia.
“È un momento critico per la nostra storia, è un momento che deciderà il nostro futuro”, queste le parole del Primo Ministro tunisino Habib Essid dopo l’attentato al Museo del Bardo, nel cuore della capitale tunisina, che ha causato una ventina di morti tra turisti e cittadini tunisini....
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Interview
18 March 2015
Terror in Tunisia
In an interview on Italy's Rai Radio 1, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo analyses the current situation in Tunisia, where political instability combined with weak economy creates a breeding ground for Islamist extremism....
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Interview
18 March 2015
Terrorists want to destabilise Tunisia
In an interview with Italian online newspaper Affaritaliani.it, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo stresses the urge to agree on a strategy for tackling the issue of migration in the European Union and explains why the Bardo National Museum attack can be considered as an attack to Tunisia's economy....
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Article
14 March 2015
Moral clarity is needed in countering anti-Western propaganda
EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya calls on the Western policy-makers to be more committed to countering anti-Western propaganda....
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Article
12 March 2015
How Russia views the Iran nuclear talks
EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya discusses the potential implications of the ever closer Russo-Iranian ties for the negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme....
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Mention
11 March 2015
Islam and Islamism: A discussion at our school about how we express our values
A large, inner-city secondary school in Berlin reports on a visit from EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour who held a discussion for pupils about Islam and Islamism. The aim of the session was to engage pupils in a critical discussion about their values, as well as to raise awareness of radicalisation and fundamentalist strains of Islam....
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Article
10 March 2015
Ahead of Egypt investment conference, cautious optimism for economic reforms
EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya assesses the state of the Egyptian economy and calls on the US administration to support Sisi's economic reform agenda despite his undemocratic credentials....
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Article
10 March 2015
Sharia law comes first. So Islam whips and condemns
EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo analyses the case of the Saudi blogger Raif Badawi and highlights the chasm between the universal human rights and the Islamic law....
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Op-Ed
02 March 2015
Internet “Freedom” in Turkey
Fundamental rights and freedoms in Turkey have been in decline for the last few years, including internet freedom, with Turkey hardly meeting the EU’s Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of Expression. EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr Demir Murat Seyrek and Amanda Paul, Senior Policy Analyst at the European POlicy Center, comment on the use of social media by the Turkish youth and on restrictions on internet freedom by the government....
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Article
01 March 2015
Dear Minister Alfano, regarding Islam: Italy is making a big mistake
In an open letter to Italian Minister of the Interior, Angelino Alfano, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo calls for an urgent re-think on Italian policy as regards Islam. She warns against Muslims being referred to as an "abstract entity", and calls for radicalisation to be addressed by working with young Muslims on a personal level and in secure environments such as schools. She also questions the extent to which "leaders from Italy's Islamic...
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