Media - European Foundation for Democracy

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....

Interview 13 January 2015

We are not actually doing anything, we are just reacting

Following the terror attacks in Paris, EFD's Ahmad Mansour speaks in Germany's Tagesspiegel newspaper about his renewed determination to instigate a meaningful debate on issues relating to Islam. Ahmad calls for long-term prevention approaches to radicalisation instead of reactionary measures....

Article 12 January 2015

Western allies must share intelligence on returning jihadists

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour participates in the New York Times' "Room for Debate" series on the question of how Western governments should handle citizens who return to their countries having joined militant Islamist groups abroad....

Interview 10 January 2015

Muslims have no answers to radicalisation

The day after the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in Switzerland's Berner Zeitung on the challenges we face regarding Islamic radicalisation....

Article 10 January 2015

Whilst condemning the attacks at Charlie Hebdo, Saudi Arabia is flogging the liberal blogger

In an article on I Tempi EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo describes how Saudi Arabia, a country which condemns the attacks to satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, is at the same time flogging liberal blogger Raif Badawi. Valentina writes that the West should understand that to fight Islamic terrorism it must first tackle the ideologies that fuel it....

Article 09 January 2015

Al Rashed, ‘Fighting against jihadists to defend Muslims’

EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo reflects upon the words of Abd al-Rahman al-Rashed who has openly spoken out against those within Islam who preach hate and violence, who are also responsible for the growing sentiments of Isalmophobia in Europe. She urges institutions and communications and media outlets to give voice to the plurality of Muslims in Europe, especially those who are victims of Islamic extremism....

Article 08 January 2015

Charges of ‘Islamophobia’ prelude to terrorism

EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo highlights that abusing the accusation of "Islamophobia" against whoever criticises Islam brings about a fertile ground for violent actions against alleged "islamophobes". This is what tragically happened with the terrorist attacks against Charlie Hebdo...

Article 08 January 2015

The “Arab Spring” and the EU’s “Democracy Promotion” in Egypt: A Missed Appointment?

EFD researcher Tommaso Virgili reviews the European partnership with Egypt under the European Neighbourhood Policy, in order to assess the effectiveness of the EU policy in the promotion of democratisation and human rights, hinged on the use of positive and negative conditionality....

Article 01 January 2015

Apostasy from Islam under Sharia Law

EFD Researcher Tommaso Virgili writes about the sensitive issue of apostasy in Islamic law....

Article 29 December 2014

Will protests break out in Russia over the economic crisis?

EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya discusses how even as the Russian economic crisis continues to worsen, inflation rises and the ruble continues to plummet, and Putin’s approval ratings remain high, it is ever more likely that protests will break out caused by recent economic troubles....

Article 18 December 2014

A mosque for everyone? Only for the Muslim Brotherhood

EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo explains how a controversy regarding the construction of a mosque in Milan represents a broader issue: the existing close ties between the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic organisations in Milan....

Broadcast 10 December 2014

The debate: how radical is Islam really?

In a series of debates hosted by Germany's Friedrich Ebert Foundation, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour discusses Islam and radicalisation with Ender Cetin, a representative from the Sehitlik Mosque in Berlin, and Heide Oestreich, editor of the Tageszeitung newspaper....

Broadcast 05 December 2014

Anti-Semitism today: present in the left, the right, and the middle of society

Following a rise in anti-Semitic incidents in connection with the Gaza conflict in Summer 2014, Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on Bayerischer Rundfunk radio about anti-Semitism in Germany's Muslim community....

Broadcast 03 December 2014

Purity, honour, contempt of death: between tolerance and Islamic fundamentalism

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour speaks on Austrian radio about the challenges we face in connection with radical Islam. He states that the current situation regarding the militant group ISIS should give us occasion and space to engage in a debate about Islam....

Article 30 November 2014

Russia’s ongoing battle with radical Islam

Despite a recent announcement from Russia's Anti-Terrorism Committee stating that Russia saw a significant decline in terrorist acts in 2014, EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya states that there are a number of reasons to remain sceptical about how successfully Russia is handling its broader battle with terrorism and radical Islam....

Broadcast 27 October 2014

Islamic extremists on the Internet

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on Germany's Deutsche Welle about extremist activity online, and the effect which this content can have on young people....

Interview 23 October 2014

Giving up is not an option

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in Germany's Stern magazine on the current challenges we face regarding Islamic radicalisation. Ahmad discusses the various reasons why a strictly regulated Salafi way of life can be attractive to young people, describes what the radicalisation process can look like, and stresses the danger of Jihad as an ideological legitimisation of violence. He calls for more to be done to prevent radicalisat...