Media - European Foundation for Democracy

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....

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....

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"....

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....

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....

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”....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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”....

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....

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....

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”....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....

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...

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....

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....

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....

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....

Article 01 July 2014

On Russia’s growing involvement in Iraq

Following news of ISIS advancing in Iraq, EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya observes that U.S. policymakers should be concerned about Russia’s growing influence in the region, which is motivated by decreasing U.S. and Western interest....

Broadcast 30 June 2014

“A Romanticised Battle”: Interview with psychologist Ahmad Mansour

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed for German television’s nano programme on the appeal of radical Islam and of the civil war in Syria....

Article 24 June 2014

Iraq: Shia against Sunni? That would be too easy

In this article published on La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo explains that in Iraq, the conflict cannot be reduced to a Sunni - Shia conflict. This is because, Valentina explains, the Baath party in Iraq is still a force to be reckoned with....