Media
Interview
05 September 2014
The content which IS is using can also be found in mainstream Islam
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in Germany's Zeit newspaper on why the Islamic State militant group attracts German Muslims, what we might expect from those who return from the conflict, and how we can work to prevent radicalisation....
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Interview
05 September 2014
Those who can think for themselves are immune to radicalisation
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour was interviewed on German radio on radicalisation of youths in Germany. He speaks about how young people are drawn to jihad because they are looking for structure and meaning in their lives, and that psychological factors contribute to their radicalisation. Furthermore, he expresses regret that the issue of radicalisation has not been brought up in the German Senate....
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Interview
05 September 2014
Those who can think for themselves are immune to radicalisation
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on German radio about the reasons why radical groups can be appealing to young Muslims, and what can be done to discourage this trend....
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Mention
04 September 2014
ISIS recruits ‘converted’ Europeans
Westerners fighting in Iraq and Syria are estimated to be 3000, with 20 to 25 per cent of those being recently converted to Islam. In an article featured in the leading Italian newspaper La Stampa, EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino reveals that this phenomenon could be explained by a shift to "online Islamic fundamentalism" which appeals to younger Western generations who feel closer to Islamic fundamentalism than their national identity....
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Article
03 September 2014
Purity, honour, defiance of death
In Germany's prominent Spiegel magazine, Ahmad Mansour calls for Muslims to make urgent reforms to Islam. He states that aspects of moderate Islam bear too much resemblance to the content which we are seeing utilised by radical groups such as ISIS....
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Mention
01 September 2014
A Ukraine Peace Plan That Excludes Ukrainians Is Unacceptable
Following a meeting between American and Russian experts and former officials in the Finnish island of Boistö that aimed to find a solution to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya co-signed a letter with American and European experts that denounces the exclusion of Ukrainians from the summit in Finland as it "disqualifies this initiative from any serious consideration"....
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Interview
01 September 2014
Problems need to be clearly addressed
Ahmad Mansour talk about the intercultural (in)tolerance and how there is still a lot left to do. He also addresses the issue of radicalisation and the role that groups like “The True Religion” and Muslim organisations actually play and the one they should play....
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Interview
01 September 2014
Problems need to be clearly addressed
Ahead of the Moses Mendelssohn award ceremony, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on his work with numerous projects in Germany to foster integration, tolerance and gender equality, and to prevent anti-Semitism, radicalisation and honour-based oppression in the Muslim community....
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Article
01 September 2014
View from Moscow: how Putin’s incompetence led to the crisis in Ukraine
In her article, Anna Borshchevskaya argues that, thanks to the distorted public support to Putin's intervention in Ukraine, this crisis may prolong his stay in power. Yet, she believes that in the end he will crash, just like the soviet Union before him. Nonetheless, she advocates for tougher actions from western leaders against him without delay, “because the longer they wait, the more damage Putin will do”....
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Article
01 September 2014
With or without sanctions, Russia’s economy is declining
In a monthly Operational Environment Watch commentary, EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya discusses the declining state of Russia's economy -- a situation which is not set to change in the near future....
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Article
31 August 2014
Ukraine: an ongoing crisis
Anna Borshchevskaya addresses the issue of the Russia-EU relationship which continues to deteriorate. She raises the question of whether the EU will remain united in the face of Russia, as both sides are sanctioning each other due to the Ukraine crisis, and some member states are beginning to feel the effects of these sanctions....
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Mention
29 August 2014
Are there jihadi groups in Varese?
The North of Italy is becoming host to jihadi groups hoping to branch out to other parts of Europe. In the Italian newspaper La Provincia di Varese, EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino discusses that this phenomenon is a serious threat and reports that even towards the end of the 1990s jihadists were present in Italian cities....
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Broadcast
28 August 2014
A message of peace or a faith-based battle: is Islam dangerous?
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour appears in a debate on German television on the question of whether some interpretations of Islam pose a threat to democratic society. Other guests include Hamed Abdel-Samad and Khola Maryam Hübsch....
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Interview
28 August 2014
Vidino: youths are radicalised on the Internet
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino, in an interview published in Avvenire, explains how "keyboard jihadis" are on the rise. Whilst in the 90s it was in the mosque that radicalisaion occurred, today youths learn about jihadism online....
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Interview
28 August 2014
We must strengthen the liberal forces in the Muslim world
Following his appearance on Germany's Log-in television programme, Ahmad Mansour takes part in a webchat with viewers on a number of issues relating to the social challenges posed by fundamentalist interpretations of Islam....
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Article
27 August 2014
Remember Putin’s call to action against terrorism?
As Western analysts debate whether Syrian President Bashar Assad is ultimately more preferable than the militant Islamists fighting to take his place, EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya considers Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stance on terrorism, concluding that he is guided by his own agenda rather than principles....
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Interview
26 August 2014
Mare Nostrum was the best response to Islamist propaganda
The Mare Nostrum Project, a project funded by the EU that explores new ways to protect the Mediterranean Sea, saved the lives of 3500 refugees wanting to reach the shores of Southern Italy this summer. In an interview published on L'Occidentale, EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino calls for for the West to use these success stories to counter the negative narratives that attract young people to jihad....
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Interview
25 August 2014
Immigration is not terrorism, but beware of the Italian ‘Beatles’
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino discusses the threats posed by Islamic extremism and “online jihadism” in Italy. He explains that in Italy, contrary to popular belief, immigration is not connected to terrorism or the threat posed by the “Islamic State”....
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Interview
20 August 2014
Is it a British hand that killed Foley? Interview to Vidino: who are the European jihadists
In an interview featured on Rai News, EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino delves into the issue of European foreign fighters and explains what role they play in Iraq and Syria....
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Interview
03 August 2014
The war is being fought on social media
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour speaks with journalist Teresa Eder about anti-Semitism among young people with migrant backgrounds in Austria – a phenomenon which has become increasingly pronounced amid the renewed conflict in the Middle East....
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Interview
31 July 2014
Women in Islam
In an interview on Servizio Informazione Religiosa, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo discusses the role of women in Islam, explaining how the perceived subordination of women is being defended by Koranic interpretation. She says that women are the key to the advancement of Islam and explains that is especially the case because there are as many Islamic women as there are “Islams”....
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Broadcast
28 July 2014
Collective trauma in the Middle East
EFD's Ahmad Mansour speaks on German radio about the collective trauma of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. He states that, in order for peace to become a realistic possibility in the region, Israelis and Palestinians have to have the sense that they have rational and reflected partners on the other side....
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Article
28 July 2014
Persecution of Christians, timid disapproval from Islam
In an article published on La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo explains that whilst the Islamic world has been somewhat vocal in denouncing the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, it needs to be more critical of such acts....
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Mention
24 July 2014
Misleading images are being circulated online
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is quoted by journalist Katharina Pfannkuch in an article on misleading images which are circulating on social media in connection with the conflict in Gaza. Ahmad points out that highly emotive or graphic images -- which sometimes originate from Iraq or Syria -- are being shared particularly by young people, who are less likely to check or question the source....
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Article
24 July 2014
Muslims fear jihadists, especially those closest to them
EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo discusses the findings of a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, which suggests that support for Islamist groups in the Middle East is closely linked with the proximity of the group, and that support tends to dwindle when these groups are encountered first-hand. Valentina calls for us to consider these findings in connection with the growing presence of ISIS in Iraq....
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Interview
23 July 2014
The hatred is completely out of control
Amid rising tensions in Germany due to the ongoing crisis in Gaza, EFD's Ahmad Mansour voices his concern about the increasingly pronounced anti-Semitism among Germany's young Muslims....
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Article
20 July 2014
There are no longer Christians in Mosul
As the militant Islamist group ISIS makes gains in Iraq, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo writes that, for the first time in Iraq's history, Christians can no longer be found in Mosul. She also discusses the rigid ideology which is behind ISIS' actions....
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Article
18 July 2014
So dies Christianity in Iraq
EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo on the persecution of Christians and non-Sunni minorities in Iraq, which has escalated significantly with the increased presence of the militant group ISIS....
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Broadcast
14 July 2014
Interview with EFD’s Lorenzo Vidino on European Foreign Fighters
In an interview with Radio 24, EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino explains the phenomenon of European foreign fighters, what motivates young Europeans to fight in Syria and the extent of the threat of jihadism in Italy....
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Article
13 July 2014
Hamas wants to see an increasing death toll on its own side
Amid renewed conflict in the Middle East, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour calls for Palestinians to take a critical stance on Hamas' conduct. He pleads for the adoption of new role models, a culture of constructive self-reflection, and argues that, in order to actually move forward in the region, it is time to distance ourselves from the image of a victimised Palestine -- both in the Middle East, and in the West....
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Article
11 July 2014
Iraq: the myth of the Caliphate divides Islam more than it unites it
Following the announcement of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi that a new Caliphate called "Islamic State" has been established in Iraq and Syria, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo discusses conflicting perceptions of the notion of Caliphate in the Muslim world. Valentina examines the historic role of the Caliphate, and discusses its power to inspire Islamic fundamentalists....
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Mention
11 July 2014
Iraq: watch out for jihadists with a European passport
Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino warns of the potential security threat posed by ISIS militants who hold European passports. He urges us to be cautious of individuals who have gained military training in Syria and Iraq, and have easy access to Europe...
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Article
04 July 2014
No to the burka: It also says so in the Koran
Following the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights to uphold a ban on the full-face veil in France, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo writes that this decision is in-keeping with what many Muslim theologians think about the burka and the niqab: that they are not Islamic....
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Interview
03 July 2014
The Muslim Brotherhood: Really moderate?
EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo states that The Arab Spring has led to the ‘legitimisation’ of the Muslim Brotherhood and urges Europe to remain cautious....
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Article
02 July 2014
Jihadism in the Balkans: new jihadist networks in Bosnia
EFD Researcher Giovanni Giacalone writes that, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, instability in Bosnia provided fertile ground for the spread of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia....
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Article
01 July 2014
A geography of Italian jihadism
Although many jihadists left Europe during the Arab Spring, networks of jihadists are still present in Italy. In an article published in Le Formiche, EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino gives an overview of the “identity-kit” of Italian jihadists....
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