Articles

With the Turkish general elections now complete, Amanda Paul of the European Policy Centre and EFD's Senior Policy Advisor, Demir Murat Seyrek, write about "the huge victory" scored by the Justice and Development Party (AKP), how to understand the election results, its potential consequences, and what the results mean for Turkey-EU relations. The article begins by highlighting that the results not only provide President Erdogan's AKP party's four...

As the Turkish population heads to the polls for the second time in five months, Amanda Paul of the European Policy Centre and EFD's Senior Policy Adviser, Dr Demir Murat Seyrek, write about what has happened on the ground in Turkey since the last election, what to expect as the polls prepare to open, and what's really at stake. Leading up to 1 November's election date, the atmosphere has been highly charged with financial volatility and a rise i...

EFD Senior Policy Adviser, Dr Demir Murat Seyrek, writes about EU-Turkey relations in the midst of the upcoming 1 November elections in Turkey. Discussions of Turkey's EU membership has been put on hold for the time being, due to the Brussel's focus turning to other matters at hand, including Russia, the refugee crisis, the rise of the far-right and growing Euroscepticism. Turkey as well has been preoccupied, with over 2 million refugees now resi...

Tehmina Kazi, director of British Muslims for Secular Democracy and a Fellow at the European Foundation for Democracy, writes about the difficulty in countering online extremism and explains why vulnerable individuals have been so susceptible to their messages. In the article, Tehmina stresses the importance of combating non-violent extremism with the same tenacity as violent extremism and provides several examples for how an effective counte...

Ahmad Mansour discusses the growing appeal of Salafism among young Muslims, and calls for an urgent critical debate about Islamic reform. He stresses that religious extremism needs to be addressed also in cases where it does not lead to physical violence....

EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo comments on the recent blast that severely damaged the Italian consulate in Cairo, Egypt. “The Egyptian press’ version, that explains the attack by citing its proximity to the High Court of Cassation, is plausible”, she says....

Local German media reports on a panel discussion on the topic of radicalisation prevention work, featuring EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour. The article acknowledges Ahmad’s extensive contribution to the debate, where he warned that, at present, ‘the Salafists are proving to be the better social workers’, and that much more needs to happen in civil society to ensure that the needs of young people are met....

Summary of a parliamentary briefing on the Iranian nuclear negotiations with expert speakers Dr. Bruno Tertrais and Lukasz Kulesa, co-organised on 17th June 2015 by the European Leadership Network, the APPG on Global Security and Non Proliferation and the European Foundation for Democracy....

Following the 47th attack since the Arab Spring, Tunisia must reflect on the democratic transition of the last four and a half years, and take stock of the situation, says EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo. Tunisia, she adds, must not lose its identity, but find a solution to the economic crisis and to the spread of political Islam....

EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo comments on recent attacks in Tunisia, France and Kuwait. She also highlights that the Muslim Brotherhood is “infiltrating” European societies in order to conquer the world ideologically and politically....

Swiss newspaper Aargauer Zeitung reports on a seminar with Ahmad Mansour at a college. The aim of the session is to discuss approaches to preventing Islamic radicalisation with educators. Ahmad states “a lot of teachers would really like to see a leaflet outlining the features of radicalisation. Unfortunately we don’t have these. You can only assess a pupil’s beliefs and views by talking to them individually.”...

EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo explains how the Muslim Brotherhood is gradually succeeding in creating a well-structured, pervasive network in Europe. She highlights the roles played by key figures such as Yusuf Qaradawi and Ibrahim El Zayat in achieving "full integration" in European societies....

In light of recent human rights concerns in Saudi Arabia EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo comments on the presence of this country at the International Book Fair that will be hold next year in Turin....

"On 16th May, Cairo Criminal Court sentenced the former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and 106 members of the Muslim brotherhood to death". EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo analyses the consequences of this decision and stresses the need for reform at the basis of the Egyptian society and economy....

An article by EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour on gender roles, sexuality and the concept of honour is published in the current edition of Germany’s Der Bürger im Staat....

In an article published by Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour calls for German policy makers to ensure that the debate about radicalisation is conducted carefully and thoroughly, without stoking hate or inciting fear....

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....

EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya calls on the Western policy-makers to be more committed to countering anti-Western propaganda....

EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya discusses the potential implications of the ever closer Russo-Iranian ties for the negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme....

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....

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....

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...

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...

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

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

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....

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....

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....

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....

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...

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....

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....

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....

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....

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....