Author Archives: Petra Uphoff

H. H. Elsäßer; I. Goldmann: Wortschatz Politik – Wirtschaft – Geographie

In relation with globalisation the political vocabulary of the Arabic language has developed and changed. This dictionary is both recommendable and comprehensive and contains political as well as geographical terms, names of key figures of the international and Arab world and mentions news agencies and organisations.

William Montgomery Watt: Muslim-Christian Encounters

In his book W. M. Watt, meanwhile Emeritus Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, describes the background of some myths and misconceptions defining the Muslim-Christian relationship partly until the present time. According to nowadays’ understanding of scientific approaches it is unpopular to write about a “testimony” and some “fruits of faith”. W. M. Watt as an authority in this realm does so in his book. His central message is that Muslims and Christians should aim at a fruitful and lively dialoge in mutual respect towards each other’s religion and values by getting to know each other better.

Islamic Human Rights under scrutiny

The frequent human rights abuses which take place in nearly all countries of the Muslim world are often the result of corrupt or dictatorial regimes and not necessarily due to either Islam or these countries’ view of human rights. Less widely known, however, is that international associations in Muslim countries have formulated their own human rights declarations in opposition to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the Plenary session of the United Nations in 1948.