Media - European Foundation for Democracy

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”....

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....

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”....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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...

Broadcast 27 February 2015

Anti-Semitism — daily life for Jews in Germany

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on German news show heute-journal on the issue of anti-Semitism among young Muslims in Germany. In order to eliminate prejudice, Ahmad emphasises the importance of personal encounters and dialogue between Muslims and Jews....

Broadcast 24 February 2015

How radical Salafists lure young Muslims

Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on German television about the ways in which young Muslims can be influenced by radical Salafists and the Islamist ideology....

Article 20 February 2015

Anti-Semitism among Muslims

Following the terror attacks in Paris, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour highlights the growing issue of anti-Semitism among young Muslims in Europe, and calls for urgent responses and prevention approaches to be developed. He states that the phenomenon is more widespread than many realise, and that current school curricula are not adapted to the needs of many pupils with migrant backgrounds. He also emphasises the need for topics such as the...

Article 20 February 2015

Islamic style adoption to be introduced in Italy

EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo discusses the implications of Islamic adoption or 'Kafala', which is set to be legalised by the Italian Senate....

Article 17 February 2015

The West cannot abandon Ukraine now

EFD Fellow Anna Borshchkevskaya discusses what the West must do following extensive negotiations and the announcement of a ceasefire in Minsk....

Article 16 February 2015

The grip of the Caliphate tightens on Europe

EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo discusses Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Muslim Brotherhood. She states that the organisations each have different priorities but the same ultimate goal of establishing a Caliphate. She also writes that, while the Muslim Brotherhood does not call for armed jihad, it does nurture the breeding ground for the radical ideology....

Article 13 February 2015

Russia-Egypt nuclear power plant deal: why ignoring Egypt’s needs is bad for the US

EFD Fellow Anna Borshchkevskaya urges the US to stop distancing itself from Egypt as an ally, and to stop ignoring Egypt's security and energy needs....

Article 10 February 2015

Ahead of Minsk talks, West needs a comprehensive solution on Ukraine

Ahead of talks to discuss an end the crisis in Ukraine, EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya calls for Western leaders to reach a consensus on how to help Ukraine become integrated into the West....

Interview 07 February 2015

Honour killings are just the tip of the iceberg

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the 'honour killing' of Hatun Sürücü in Berlin, EFD's Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on what has changed in the last ten years. Ahmad states that the authorities now have an increased awareness of honour-based violence, but that it needs to be recognised that -- thankfully -- honour killings happen in only the most extreme cases, and that much more needs to be done to safeguard women and girls against...

Mention 07 February 2015

Presentation from Islamism expert Ahmad Mansour

Local German media report on a presentation held by EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour on identifying and preventing Islamic radicalisation among young people. The audience, which comprised twice as many attendees as were expected, included representatives from schools and mosques as well as social workers....

Article 06 February 2015

How to judge Putin’s trip to Egypt

On February 9th - 10th, Russian president Vladimir Putin will travel to Egypt for a bilateral meeting at President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's invitation. EFD Fellow Anna Borshchkevskaya discusses how to judge this meeting....

Interview 05 February 2015

Not the first controversial sermon

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed following the publication on the Internet of a misogynistic sermon held at Berlin's Al Nur Mosque. Ahmad calls for speeches such as this to be clearly condemned from within the Muslim community....

Article 01 February 2015

The European Parliament is deluded about the Muslim Brotherhood

EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo urges the European Parliament to exercise caution when dealing with representatives from the Muslim Brotherhood, stating that the image some individuals present in the English speaking world is notably different to that which is presented in the Arab speaking world: "The West should aim to maintain a balanced approach in their official statements intended to safeguard freedom of expression but also protect the...

Interview 28 January 2015

Disoriented, sexually frustrated, and waging Jihad

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on German radio about the radicalisation process, and the motivations which drive young people to join jihadist groups. Ahmad calls for radicalisation to be recognised not just in terms of security concerns, but also as a threat to civil society and democratic values....

Mention 23 January 2015

Hearing on Islamism and Salafism at the Hessian Parliament, Germany

On 22nd January 2015, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour was one of several experts invited to speak at a public hearing at the Hessian Parliament on how to deal with Islamism and Salafism in society. Ahmad called for the psychological factors of radicalisation to be taken into account, and for schools to actively encourage critical thinking among pupils, also in connection with religion....

Article 23 January 2015

What to expect from Syria peace talks in Moscow

EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya considers what we can expect from upcoming Syria peace talks in Moscow. She states that, while the talks are unlikely to produce immediate results, Moscow could use them to gain leverage to shape its preferred outcome in Syria....

Mention 21 January 2015

Gauck’s debate about domestic peace: what is going wrong in Germany?

The German president Joachim Gauck brings together 50 experts, including EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour, to discuss the dramatic increase in instances of discrimination and polarisation in German society. Among the topics for discussion are the anti-Islam movement known as PEGIDA, Islamic radicalisation, anti-Semitism, and right-wing extremism. At this seminar, Ahmad calls for new educational methods to counter anti-Semitism among Muslim yo...

Broadcast 20 January 2015

The imams are both part of the problem and part of the solution

Following the Islamist terror attacks in Paris, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour speaks on German television about Islam and radicalisation. At a time when Germany's Pegida demonstrations are attracting an increasing number of supporters, Ahmad calls for a more sensitive debate about radicalisation, and stresses the need for a debate within the Muslim community about the some of the content of mainstream Islam....

Interview 16 January 2015

Terrorism, the expert: ‘Threats by attacks. The mosques? It is right to build them, but the problem is who manages them’

EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino, in an interview with Italian newspaper Il Giorno, explains how even if the terror threat in Italy is low compared to other European countries, it must keep its guard up. The construction of Mosques in Italy does not pose a direct threat of Islamic terrorist attacks, Vidino says, however he warns that they should be run by Islamic communities with “correct ideologies” that protect human rights....

Interview 15 January 2015

Europe’s porous borders pose problems in hunt for terrorists

The attacks in Paris last week and yesterday's raids against militants in Belgium highlight the trend of European Muslims travelling to Syria and Iraq to fight. EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino speaks to PBS Newshour about Europe's porous borders and the challenge of monitoring possible suspects....

Article 13 January 2015

500 Muslims against Islamic terrorism

The French newspaper Le Monde published on 10 January 2015 a list of 500 signatures of Arab Muslims who condemn the attacks to satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and to the Hyper Cacher supermarket in Paris. EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo writes that this is an efficient and concrete response to the generalisations surrounding Islam and Muslims, and to those who question the presence of moderate Muslim voices....

Interview 13 January 2015

Integration ‘not an antidote’ to Islamic extremism

EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino discusses the challenges Switzerland faces with regard to Islamic radicalization, refuting the notion that a higher level of integration is a safeguard against attacks such as the ones which took place in Paris....