Media - European Foundation for Democracy

Mention 17 August 2013

Muslim Brotherhood: A force throughout the Muslim world

EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino contributes to the article noting that the Muslim Brotherhood has experienced different phases throughout its existence....

Article 15 August 2013

Outlining US-Iranian dialogue

Iranian international relations expert Kayhan Barzegar lays the framework for the nature of US-Iranian dialogue....

Broadcast 14 August 2013

The desire to think for themselves

EFD Policy Advisor Ahmad Mansour talks to Almut Engelien from the radio talk show "Tischgesprach" on the German radio station WDR 5. Mansour discusses his life growing up as an Israeli Arab and his time spent as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. At the University of Tel Aviv, Mansour says it was here that he discovered the importance of critical thinking and began to change his ideas towards Jews. Today Mansour works as a psychologist in Berl...

Broadcast 14 August 2013

Why do some young Muslims become radicalised?

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on the German radio show "Country time" broadcast on the national station Deutschlandradio. Mansour is joined by a panel of experts to discuss the growth of Salafism in North Rhine-Westphalia. There are active social networks for young men to preach Islam and work towards the goal of creating an Islamic state. The panellists discuss what is the fascination for young people towards radical Isl...

Article 13 August 2013

Iran’s new defence minister and Hezbollah

Iran's newly appointed Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan allegedly played a chief role in the formation of Hezbollah in Lebanon....

Article 11 August 2013

EU action is insufficient to stop Hezbollah

Sweden's daily newspaper Göteborgs-Posten features a report written by EFD Senior Policy Advisor Magnus Norell on the activities of the Lebanese-militant group Hezbollah within Europe. In July the EU blacklisted Hezbollah's military wing, yet Norell cites that it is not possible to separate its political activities from its military wing and the EU's decision will not prevent the group from carrying out activities in Europe such as organised c...

Mention 08 August 2013

American observers discuss cancelled US-Russian meeting

BBC Ukraine features a report by journalist Natalia Khyzhnyak on the reaction of US-based commentators on the Obama administration's decision to cancel talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the G20 summit in St. Petersburg. EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya says the situation regarding Edward Snowden is just the latest symptom of worsening US-Russian relations....

Article 08 August 2013

President Rohani follows his predecessor

President Hassan Rohani has said he wants to end Iran's isolation, yet his actions suggest that he is following the path of his predecessor....

Article 07 August 2013

President Rohani admits Iranian nuclear ambitions

In an interview on Iranian state television before the election, Hassan Rohani admitted that Iran has never attempted to halt its nuclear programme....

Mention 06 August 2013

A weakened al-Qaeda remains a global terrorist threat

EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino contributes to the article on the growing threat of al-Qaeda....

Broadcast 06 August 2013

Al Qaeda at the time of DataGate

Broadcaster Giampaolo Musumeci from Italy's national radio station Radio 24 talks to EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino about the information released by Edward Snowden on al-Qaeda's efforts to identify weaknesses in US drone technology. Musumeci asks about the political ramifications for the US government and what is Vidino's opinion on the nature of the threat. The recording is only available in Italian....

Mention 06 August 2013

Experts: The threat from al Qaeda against Denmark is decreasing

EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino contributes to the report saying that unlike in previous years, Denmark is no longer considered a prime terrorist target for the group....

Article 06 August 2013

Mosques urge jihad in Syria

Sweden's daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet features an op-ed on the problem of terrorist recruitment in Sweden. It is estimated that at least seven men from the city of Gothenburg have been killed in the Syrian conflict and there are fears that mosques in the city are encouraging young men to travel to the Middle East. The Swedes who head to Syria often join the most radical rebel groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra and there are fears that once th...

Mention 06 August 2013

Possible car bomb in Copenhagen

Norway's public broadcaster NRK reports on the discovery of a possible car bomb in Denmark's capital Copenhagen. A suspect vehicle was found rigged with cables and police were ordered to evacuate the area and a bomb robot was used to investigate the car. EFD's Lorenzo Vidino is quoted in the report....

Mention 05 August 2013

Terrorist threats – or intelligence tactic?

Sweden's daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet features an article on the terror threat posed to US interests in the Middle East and North Africa. At least 22 US embassies closed in August after warnings emerged that an al-Qaeda linked attack was imminent and some senior US officials compared the situation to the days leading up to the September 11 attacks. EFD Senior Policy Advisor Magnus Norell believes that given the fragmented nature of al-Qaeda,...

Article 05 August 2013

What can the world expect from Iran’s new president?

EFD Senior Fellow discusses what we can expect from Iran's newly elected President Hassan Rohani....

Broadcast 04 August 2013

A conversation with Ahmad Mansour

EFD Policy Advisor Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on Germany's NDR radio show "Der Talk" about his background growing up in an Arab town in Israel and his time spent in a fundamentalist Muslim group before attending university where he overcame his prejudices against Jews....

Article 02 August 2013

Iran: President Rohani’s anti-Israel rhetoric

Iran's President Hassan Rohani has accused Israel of being a wound in the body of the Islamic world....

Article 01 August 2013

Iran’s Supreme Leader issues fatwas

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has issued an extensive list of fatwas ordering people to avoid contact with the Bahai....

Article 31 July 2013

Iran: Al-Qods Day

Al-Qods day in Iran has become symbolic of the regime's desire to target Israel....

Mention 31 July 2013

Terror expert: Recruiters seeking new warriors in Gothenburg

Swedish newspaper features a story on the growth of terror recruitment in the city of Gothenburg. EFD Senior Policy Advisor Magnus Norell says that it is common for new jihadists to be recruited by their friends and through the use of social media. This is in contrast to the UK and Germany, where jihadists are often recruited at universities and mosques....

Article 25 July 2013

More action than a terrorist stamp required

EFD Senior Policy Advisor Magnus Norell writing in Sweden's daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet believes that the Lebanese-based militant group Hezbollah is a "united organisation" and it is not possible for the European Union to separate its political wing from its military wing....

Broadcast 24 July 2013

The Interview: Lorenzo Vidino

International news channel France 24 talks to EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino about the political situation in Egypt following the removal of President Mohamed Morsi....

Broadcast 10 July 2013

Ramadan: Fasting in times of crisis

The festival of Ramadan is an important occasion for Muslims to fast and devote time to their loved ones, yet this year's festival will be very different, according to EFD Policy Advisor Ahmad Mansour, as many countries across the Middle East are in the grip of civil strife and in the case of Syria, hundreds of families have been torn apart by conflict....

Broadcast 07 July 2013

Radio interview: what is honour?

EFD Policy Advisor, Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on the popular cultural show "Tandem" on Germany's national radio station SWR2 . He discusses his efforts to help Muslim youth to break with harmful traditional practices, especially towards women and girls. In the interview, he talks about his work with HEROES, his Berlin-based non-profit organisation to encourage Muslim youth to become part of Germany’s tolerant, multi-cultural society. This in...

Article 04 July 2013

Iran: Anti-Semitism in the Media

EFD Senior fellow discusses how Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism is still widespread in Iran's media....

Article 03 July 2013

Iran: President Rouhani’s anti-democratic past

EFD Senior Fellow Wahied Wahdat-Hagh reveals how Iran's new President has little respect for democracy. (German)...

Article 01 July 2013

A Calculating Act

In 2005 Iran's future president Hasan Rohani gave a speech in which he outlined Iran's strategy for dealing with the West regarding its nuclear programme....

Article 19 June 2013

Iran’s New Machiavellian President

President Hassan Rohani says he wants to have a dialogue with the USA, but under the condition that it accepts Iran's right to have a nuclear programme....

Mention 18 June 2013

US and Russia divided over Syria

EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya is quoted in USA Today on Russia's position towards Syria....

Article 17 June 2013

“In Iran there are no free elections”

EFD Senior Fellow discusses Iran's elections, its minorities and Hezbollah's activities in Europe....

Broadcast 14 June 2013

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour interviewed on Germany’s ZDF

EFD's Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on German television on the topic of Muslim anti-Semitism....

Article 14 June 2013

What to expect from Russia at the G-8 Summit

EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya discusses how the Middle East will shape discussions at the G-8 Summit....

Article 13 June 2013

Iran: Fixing the Election

While it is not clear who will win Iran's presidential election, the likely loser will be Iranian civil society....

Article 13 June 2013

Sunni and Shia jihad in Syria

By referring to her previous article Syria’s Opportunistic Use of Islam, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo discusses the increasing centrality of Islam in Syrian regime’s discourse....

Article 11 June 2013

Iran in the Mediterranean

Senior Iranian Military Advisor discusses the role of Iran in the Mediterranean region....