Interviews

Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in Germany's Süddeutsche Zeitung. He explains how the early stages of radicalisation convey positive feelings of structure and belonging to young people, while simultaneously evoking negative feelings towards newly built enemy stereotypes....

Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in the Swiss 20 Minuten. He comments on the terrorist attacks in Paris on 13th November 2015 and explains that many proponents of radical Islamism are born and raised within European societies but reject European core values such as democracy, human rights and diversity....

Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in the Austrian Wiener Zeitung. According to Ahmad,interpreting religion from the perspective of exclusivity is often the first step to increasingly move away from the core values of democracy. This process is at the origins of the Islamic radicalisation of young people....

Ahmad Mansour is interview by German radio station rbb. He explains how the radicalisation of young people is a problem that is worsening and affecting the educational systems as there remains a lack of tangible policy proposals....

According to EFD Senior Policy Advisor Dr. Demir Murat Seyrek, the refugee crisis has demonstrated that the meaning of EU-Turkey relations goes beyond the discussions regarding Turkey’s full admission to the European Union. Turkey cannot ignore the EU and the EU cannot ignore Turkey; they are necessary to one another....

Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in Switzerland’s Aargauer Zeitung on the topic of radicalisation among young Muslims. Ahmad stresses the danger of speaking about radicalisation exclusively in connection with violent jihadists; he states that the topic has to be understood as a broader tendency among young Muslims in “Generation Allah.”...

Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung about the newly founded “Muslim Forum Germany” (“Muslimisches Forum Deutschland”),which aims to give a voice to humanistically oriented Muslims....

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on German news portal web.de on the topic of radicalisation among young Muslims in Germany. He describes tendencies in the current generation of young people - which he refers to as "Generation Allah" - where a general increase in religiousness can be observed....

In an interview with Italian newspaper Giornale di Sicilia, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo comments on the attack on the Syrian city of Palmyra by the militant group Islamic State. She highlights that, despite the general disapproval of IS, many Islamic groups would be opposed to Western intervention....

Following a foiled terror attack in the German town of Oberursel, EFD Programme Director is interviewed in Die Welt newspaper on the radicalisation process and the urgent requirement for greater State level support in the prevention work....

Following a symposium at the Austrian Ministry of Justice on preventing Islamism in state prisons, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour appears on Austrian national news to discuss the radicalisation process, and what needs be done both in the Muslim community and in mainstream society to safeguard young people from the violent ideology....

In an interview with Italian newspaper Il Giornale di Sicilia, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo highlights the absence of Islamic religious authorities as the major cause of misinterpretation of the Koran....

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour states that the fact that youth from all social classes are vulnerable to radicalisation, and that the propaganda proliferated by ISIS is sophisticated and tailored to the interests and concerns of young people....

EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino elaborates on the wave of violent radicalisation among European youth. He identifies the cause of this phenomenon as an identity issue rather than economic and social hardship. He analyses the consequences of radicalisation, as well as the solutions implemented by the United Kingdom since the 2005 attacks....

In an interview with Commodities Trading, an Italian media outlet focusing on international business and finance issues, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo explains what the so-called Islamic State (IS) is and how it is able maintain its power base in the Middle East....

In an interview on Italy's Rai Radio 1, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo analyses the current situation in Tunisia, where political instability combined with weak economy creates a breeding ground for Islamist extremism....

In an interview with Italian online newspaper Affaritaliani.it, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo stresses the urge to agree on a strategy for tackling the issue of migration in the European Union and explains why the Bardo National Museum attack can be considered as an attack to Tunisia's economy....

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the 'honour killing' of Hatun Sürücü in Berlin, EFD's Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on what has changed in the last ten years. Ahmad states that the authorities now have an increased awareness of honour-based violence, but that it needs to be recognised that -- thankfully -- honour killings happen in only the most extreme cases, and that much more needs to be done to safeguard women and girls against...

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed following the publication on the Internet of a misogynistic sermon held at Berlin's Al Nur Mosque. Ahmad calls for speeches such as this to be clearly condemned from within the Muslim community....

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on German radio about the radicalisation process, and the motivations which drive young people to join jihadist groups. Ahmad calls for radicalisation to be recognised not just in terms of security concerns, but also as a threat to civil society and democratic values....

EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino, in an interview with Italian newspaper Il Giorno, explains how even if the terror threat in Italy is low compared to other European countries, it must keep its guard up. The construction of Mosques in Italy does not pose a direct threat of Islamic terrorist attacks, Vidino says, however he warns that they should be run by Islamic communities with “correct ideologies” that protect human rights....

The attacks in Paris last week and yesterday's raids against militants in Belgium highlight the trend of European Muslims travelling to Syria and Iraq to fight. EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino speaks to PBS Newshour about Europe's porous borders and the challenge of monitoring possible suspects....

EFD Senior Policy Advisor Lorenzo Vidino discusses the challenges Switzerland faces with regard to Islamic radicalization, refuting the notion that a higher level of integration is a safeguard against attacks such as the ones which took place in Paris....

Following the terror attacks in Paris, EFD's Ahmad Mansour speaks in Germany's Tagesspiegel newspaper about his renewed determination to instigate a meaningful debate on issues relating to Islam. Ahmad calls for long-term prevention approaches to radicalisation instead of reactionary measures....

The day after the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in Switzerland's Berner Zeitung on the challenges we face regarding Islamic radicalisation....

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in Germany's Stern magazine on the current challenges we face regarding Islamic radicalisation. Ahmad discusses the various reasons why a strictly regulated Salafi way of life can be attractive to young people, describes what the radicalisation process can look like, and stresses the danger of Jihad as an ideological legitimisation of violence. He calls for more to be done to prevent radicalisat...

In an interview on Radio Vaticana, EFD Senior Fellow Valentina Colombo discusses the potential agreement that would see the release of the 219 girls kidnapped by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. Valentina remains slightly sceptical about this development, stating that any agreement with would imply some form of payment....

In an interview in Germany's Deutsche Welle, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour speaks about the urgent need for a reform of Islam and for a culture of debate and critical questioning within the Islamic community. Ahmad stresses the importance of showing young people "an Islam that has nothing to do with radicalism", and calls for the religion to be "freed from fear and the idea of a vengeful God."...

Are air strikes in Syria legal? What is the likelihood of air war with ISIS succeeding? EFD Fellow Anna Borshchevskaya is interviewed on Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty....

Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in Germany's Pforzheimer Zeitung on the growing number of young Germans who have joined the militant Islamist group ISIS in Iraq and Syria. He warns that ISIS supporters and sympathisers are rife in Germany, and calls for more to be done in schools and society on the whole to prevent vulnerable young people from being drawn into radical groups....

Ahmad Mansour is interviewed in Germany's Nordsee Zeitung on the radicalisation process, the reasons why Islamist groups can be appealing to young people, and what can be done to prevent this tendency....

EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour is interviewed by tip Berlin on the process of radicalisation. He describes the work he does with families of youths who are becoming radicalised, and calls for a constructive debate within Islam to confront radicalisation....

In an interview in Switzerland's Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, EFD Programme Director Ahmad Mansour states that we need to start seeing reform from moderate Islam, or else we will continue to play into the hands of radicals. Ahmad also points out that Islamism appeals particularly to young Muslims as it offers a form of youth culture and an identity. He calls for youth programmes and a stronger debate culture to counter the damaging narratives of rad...

Two days before he is awarded Berlin's Moses Mendelssohn Prize for promoting tolerance, Ahmad Mansour is interviewed on his work to prevent radicalisation and anti-Semitism in Germany's Muslim community....