Interviews
Interview
20 September 2016
USA, the expert explains: ‘behind lone wolf attacks lies a very strong jihadist call’
EFD Executive Director Roberta Bonazzi is interviewed by the Italian newspaper Adnkronos....
Read more
Interview
16 September 2016
In dialogue: Ahmad Mansour in a conversation with Michael Krons
In this interview with German tv station Phoenix, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour explains why suppressed sexuality is one of the key reasons for radicalisation. "When kissing or cuddling in public is regarded as sinful, it makes normal social interaction between the sexes impossible”....
Read more
Interview
12 September 2016
EU- Turkey relations are normalising
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Demir Murat Seyrek is interviewed by DW on EU-Turkey relations in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt and the subsequent visit of the High Representative of the European Union Federica Mogherini to Turkey....
Read more
Interview
08 September 2016
“Rome”, Isis’ new magasine to attract new followers
EFD Sernior Fellow Valentina Colombo is interviewed by Il Giornale di Sicilia on 'Rumiyah', the latest version of the Islamic State's magazine....
Read more
Interview
31 August 2016
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Demir Murat Seyrek on HaberTurk TV
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Demir Murat Seyrek is interviewed by HaberTurk TV on the latest developments regarding Turkey-EU relations after the Turkey coup attempt....
Read more
Interview
27 July 2016
Isis and the slaughtered priest: decades of underestimated propaganda
"The attack occurred in a church near the French city of Rouen, which left one priest dead, demonstrates once more how unprepared we are to deal with the 'extremism emergency' "....
Read more
Interview
27 July 2016
Terror expert: Europe can survive ISIS without electing nutjobs
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Alexander Ritzmann is interviewed by EuroActiv in the wake of the recent attacks Germany has been witnessing...
Read more
Interview
22 July 2016
What is the ‘people’s government’ according to the Muslim Brotherhood
EFD Senior Fellow Dr Valentina Colombo is interviewed by the well known Italian newspaper Il Foglio on Erdogan's political strategy implemented after the recent failed coup attempt....
Read more
Interview
17 July 2016
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr Murat Seyrek comments on Turkey Attempted Coup on SkyNews
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Demir Murat Seyrek is interviewed by Sky News on the recent failed coup in Turkey, which occurred on the evening of 15 July....
Read more
Interview
16 July 2016
A strategy inspired by Hamas
EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo is interviewed by the Spanish daily newspaper La Razon on the modus operandi of the Nice terror attack....
Read more
Interview
16 July 2016
Dr. Colombo comments on the failed coup attempt in Turkey
EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo is interviewed by the Italian radio station RDS on the failed coup attempt in Turkey....
Read more
Interview
01 July 2016
Turkey: the expert says, for the Islamic State the peace between Ankara and the Russians is a risk
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Demir Murat Seyrek is interviewed by the Italian news agency Adnkronos....
Read more
Interview
29 June 2016
Turkey’s new foreign policy
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Demir Murat Seyrek is interviewed by the Italian newspaper Il Foglio in the wake of the terrorist attack in Istanbul of 28 June....
Read more
Interview
15 June 2016
7 Things you need to know about jihadists in the United States
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino is interviewed by POLITICO in the wake of the terrorist attack in Orlando of June 12. He dispells myths on radicalisation and elaborates on key characteristics of jihadism that are posing problems for intelligence agencies....
Read more
Interview
02 June 2016
“The handshake-debate in Switzerland: far from a frivolous issue”
In this interview with Swiss Tages Woche, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour talks about the enforcement of handshakes in Swiss schools as a reaction to the handshake-debate in Therwil. For the boys it wasn’t about rebellion or an act of defiance, Mansour says; behaviour of this sort is a sign of exposure to ideology. That’s why it’s important to have a debate and to underline that disregarding the founding principles of democracy and gen...
Read more
Interview
05 May 2016
Enough with foreign funding of Islam
EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo is interviewed by the Italian daily newspaper Libero on how Italy can better prevent the spread of Islamic radicalization in its mosques around the country....
Read more
Interview
03 May 2016
Psychologist Ahmad Mansour: “We need a German Islam”
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed by Deutsche Welle about the recent demand raised by the leader of the German Christian Democratic Union party, Volker Kauder, on government control over local mosques. Instead of a general surveillance system, we need a European Islam that universally supports human rights, says Mansour. This is not the responsibility of the German politicians, argues Mansour, it must come from within the Muslim...
Read more
Interview
03 May 2016
This is not my war
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed by the Weser Kurier about his commitment to democracy. He comments on the hostilities he experienced from within the Muslim community following the publication of his book Generation Allah and why he continues to make an effort to fight for what he believes in, despite animosity and threats. „Only if democracy is steadily fought for, can it be preserved.”...
Read more
Interview
18 April 2016
The fight against terrorism: former police officers are brandishing their weapons
EFD Senior Fellow Dr. Bakary Sambe is interviewed by Le Quotidien on the recent decision of the Union Nationale des Retraités de la Police (The National Union of Pensioners of the Police) to come forth and work together to prevent the spread of terrorism, while Dr. Sambe incites the local population to be more involved....
Read more
Interview
15 April 2016
#BrusselsAttacks Media Coverage, March 22
Following the Brussels attacks on 22 March at Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station, our experts quickly responded by conducting interviews with mainstream media outlets such as CNN, BBC, MSNBC and SkyNews, providing analyses and guidance for how Belgium and the rest of Europe should respond...
Read more
Interview
11 April 2016
Europe at a crossroad: Civil society efforts to counter religious hatred and bigotry in Europe
USCIRF held an event at the National Press Club on April 11, 2016 on countering religious hatred in Europe. The event featured a keynote address by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, a panel of European civil society leaders on the situation on the ground, their work, and best practices from their experiences, and remarks by USCIRF Commissioners....
Read more
Interview
08 April 2016
Mosques, schools, hospitals: the money from Qatar arriving to Italy
EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo is mentioned in the well-known Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera: she discusses the on-going issue regarding investments in the non profit area from Arab countries and the effect this may have in fostering a radical interpretation of Islam among the local population....
Read more
Interview
01 April 2016
‘Current File’ (Brussels attacks)
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Murat Seyrek is interviewed on NTV to discuss Salafism and the roots of this ideology in the Gulf region, in light of the terrorist attacks in Brussels on 22 March....
Read more
Interview
01 April 2016
It was to be expected that the threat is increasing
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed about political deficiencies that are hindering an effective strategy to prevent the radicalisation of young people. Mansour argues that while it is important to strengthen security measures after the most recent Islamist terrorist attacks, it is even more important to address the growing issue of radicalisation in schools....
Read more
Interview
30 March 2016
Jihad in Europe
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on ZDF zoom to discuss how young people become radicalised to the point of committing a terrorist attack. He explains how years of brainwashing can lead to a narrow worldview which in their mind justifies dehumanising others who do not share the same Islamist ideology....
Read more
Interview
26 March 2016
Preventing youths from becoming radicalized
EFD Executive Director Roberta Bonazzi, is interviewed on CNN in the wake of the Brussels attacks that occurred on 22 March. In the interview Bonazzi discusses the role that ideology plays in radicalising youth and vulnerable communities, highlighting that this problem could take a generation to resolve. She also appeals to countries who are either directly or indirectly funding the dissemination of this ideology to immediately cease such support...
Read more
Interview
25 March 2016
Belgium works to fight radical extremism
Following the attacks in Brussels on 22 March, EFD Executive Director Roberta Bonazzi is interviewed on CNN to discuss the multiple failures which culminated and led to the attacks. In the interview, she highlights the incredibly complex governance system of Brussels which played a large factor, making it especially difficult to coordinate and ensure security....
Read more
Interview
25 March 2016
Primetime News with Nevşin Mengü (on Brussels attacks)
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Murat Seyrek is interviewed on CNN Turkey (@96.05 of the video) to discuss the attacks in Brussels on 22 March that killed over 30 people...
Read more
Interview
25 March 2016
The ideology behind radicalization in Belgium
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Murat Seyrek is interviewed on CNN to discuss the role that the pervasive extremist ideology plays in radicalising susceptible individuals and communities. In light of the Brussels attacks, Dr. Seyrek highlights the dangers of not addressing radicalisation prevention, given that we've seen that radical groups are specifically targeting fragile individuals, particularly those who have a fleeting sense of identity amon...
Read more
Interview
24 March 2016
Europe must tackle the threat of terrorism on a European level, not on a national one
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Alexander Ritzmann is interviewed on Sky News to discuss Europe’s increasing security threat and what measures should be implemented to tackle the problem....
Read more
Interview
24 March 2016
Preventing radicalisation: Silent vigils alone won’t help
EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed for an article in Kurier to discuss the necessity for Islamic associations to do more than issue press releases and conduct silent vigils for the victims after Islamist attacks. He argues that as long as they’re not making an effort to take action concerning an inner-Islamic debate, they are part of the problem, rather than the solution....
Read more
Interview
24 March 2016
What’s next in Brussels shutdown
EFD Executive Director Roberta Bonazzi is interviewed on CBSN to discuss radicalisation prevention in light of the major attacks at Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station in Brussels on 22 March. In the interview, Bonazzi highlights the difficulty protecting any city in an open society and soft targets in particular, like those with minimal security in which the Brussels bombers attacked earlier this week....
Read more
Interview
23 March 2016
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr Seyrek is interviewed on the Brussels Attacks
EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Murat Seyrek is interviewed on HaberTurk on the devastating attacks carried out in Brussels earlier this week, killing over 30 people. In the interview, Murat explains why Brussels was targeted and how authorities must respond to prevent similar attacks in the future....
Read more
Interview
23 March 2016
Fighting violent extremism in Belgium
EFD Executive Director Roberta Bonazzi is interviewed by MSNBN to discuss the attacks in Brussels on 22 March and how Belgium should react to tackle violent extremism....
Read more
Interview
22 March 2016
How the Brussels attacks affect the global fight against terror
Lorenzo Vidino, EFD Senior Policy Advisor and Director of the Program on Extremism at the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington University, is interviewed by PBS on the Brussels terror attacks....
Read more
Interview
11 March 2016
Is true religion always extremist?
EFD Fellow Tehmina Kazi is mentioned in the online political magazine Prospect, where she speaks out for reformers such as herself and organizations such as the Inclusive Mosque initiative, which is a pro-feminist, pro-LGBT Muslim group formed in London....
Read more