Günter Kettermann: Atlas on the History of Islam
This is not only an atlas with numerous maps that illustrate the history of Islam from its origins through the modern age. At the same time it uses numerous articles, charts and pictures to convey much more information about Islam in the Near and Middle East, in Europe and North Africa than the title would allow one to assume.
Ursula Neumann (Ed.): Islamic Theology: International Contributions to the Hamburg Debate
This book presents a debate from March 2001 that dealt with the issue of establishing a professorship for Islamic Theology at the University of Hamburg. By way of this professorship Muslim teachers would receive academic training in Islam; thus, it was thought, leaders of mosques (Imams), teachers at Koran schools and religion teachers would be trained in Germany.
“Da’wah” today: The Islamic call to Faith and Islamic PR Activities
The concept of Da’wah derives its meaning from the Arabic verb da’a = to call, to invite. Da’wah is therefore an imperative duty for all Muslims, namely to invite others to accept the truth of Islam.
Women in Islam: the Provisions of Islamic marriage law
The public debate over women’s role in Islam tends in the West to centre round the issue of the head-scarf, seen as symbolizing women’s inferiority, yet not all practising Muslim women wear the scarf and not all of them are of the opinion that this is undispensable. In fact it is Islamic marriage law which cements women’s inferior legal status as divinely ordained.
Islamic Feminism as an Effort towards Renewal and Modernization
The events of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent reactions have moved the Islamic faith – and especially Islamic extremism into the public limelight and made it an on-going topic of discussion. While the opinions of politically active Muslims (Islamists) or extremists have increasingly become media topics, liberal Muslims are presented in much less detail. Islamic feminism may be considered one form of liberal Islam. It is characterized by the following aspects:
Hans Zehetmair (Ed): Islam in Tension between Conflict and Dialogue
The Berlin Wall no longer exists, and Hans Zehetmair hopes that there will not be any insurmountable hindrance between Islam and Europe in the future. The chairman of the “Hanns Seidel Foundation” has edited a collection of essays, which aims at offering background information as a necessary tool for those who want to build bridges between the Orient and the Occident.
Hamid Molla Djafari: God Has the most Beautiful Names
In the Koran we read: “The most beautiful names belong to Allah. So call on him by them” (surah 7.180). “The most beautiful names” are understood by Muslim theologians as names and attributes of God which are used during prayer, Sufi-meditation or while saying the rosary. God’s names are important as God has not revealed himself in Islam, as Muslim theologians hold, but has only sent down his Holy Book, the Koran.
Seref ve Onur: Honour and Dignity
Turkish-Muslim and German conceptions on the subject of “honour” and “dignity” were the focus of this symposium of the Körber-Stiftung in the year 1999. As a rule violations of honour are perceived by Muslim-Turks to be especially fierce attacks. Non-Muslims most often lack the background knowledge necessary for understanding this conflict.
Bärbel Reuter: Islam as it is Lived out in Cairo Today by Female Islamists
Bärbel Reuter’s dissertation is a worthwhile compilation of 7 years of studying Islam as it is lived out in Egypt today. In this distinctive study, Reuter presents the opinions and viewpoints of younger women in Cairo who „feel deeply tied to the Islamic movement” (p. 246). This particular spectrum (or stream) of Islam called Islamism affects more than just individual behavior of a believer and how he/she personally applies their religious beliefs, it encompasses every aspect of the participant’s life and is considered an effective force for changing society which in turn brings changes to the political realm.
Hans-Georg Eber (Ed.): Articles on Islamic Law
The contributions in this volume are based on speeches held in 1999 at the annual convention of the Incorporated Society for Arabic and Islamic Law, established in 1998. The society has taken on the task of elaborating fundamental issues, in theory and in practise, of the Islamic law of the Middle East and of presenting the legal sources, often difficult to find, as principles of law.
Andreas Feldtkeller: Die ‘Mutter der Kirchen’ im ‘Haus des Islam’
This comprehensive post-doctoral thesis by religion and missiological theologian A. Feldtkeller, who now chairs at Humboldt University of Berlin, examines the coexistence of Christians and Muslims in Jerusalem and surrounding area from the time of the Arabic-Islamic conquest to the present.
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.
Murad Hofmann: Der Islam im 3. Jahrtausend. Eine Religion im Aufbruch
This book by Murad Hofmann on “Islam in the Third Millennium – a Religion on the Rise” has been published in German only. Murad Wilfried Hofmann, a doctor of law and for many years a German ambassador, has his claim to fame as a cele29 brity. He converted to Islam over 20 years ago, made various pilgrimages to Mecca and has written some very well known promotional materials for Islam.
Muhammad and his wifes
When Islam is the subject, the topic „Women in Islam“ is also frequently discussed. This is not merely the result of controversial books on Islam (like Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses) or of the problems associated with a “parallel society”, or of the visible external differences between Muslim and non-Muslim women. The reports from human rights organizations on the situation of women in Islamic countries and the autobiographical accounts of Muslim women also fuel the debate about the acculturation of Muslim women in Western culture, under the rubric of “Women’s Rights in Islam“, for example.
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.
Cross-Religious Marriages in Islam: Interview with Rafiq Yousef, Egypt
The following interview was held between members of the “German Institute for Islamic Studies” (IfI), and the Egyptian lawyer, Rafiq Yousef:
Hans Zirker: Der Koran. Zugänge und Lesarten
Hans Zirker is professor for Catholic Fundamental Theology at the University of Essen and has herewith published a further book on “Islam”. In five chapters, he proves his ability to give an introduction into basic facts about Qur’anic studies for nonexperts and to provide insiders with fascinating insights into and new perspectives of this theme.
Honor Killings and Ideas of Honor in Societies of Islamic Character
Honor killings take place today not only in the eastern part of Turkey. In Germany, too, and in the other countries of Europe, women die “for reasons of honor”. Till now, German criminal investigative departments do not compile any separate statistics, but unofficial statistics quote at least 49 honor killings or attempts at such in Germany between 1996 and 2005. The United Nations estimate that ca. 5000 honor killings (along with a high number of unreported cases) have been committed world-wide.
Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri: The Elements of Sufism
Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri grew up in a family of wellknown Shaykhs in Kerbala in Iraq. He studied natural sciences and technology in Europe and USA and was long employed as an industrial consultant. Having found his way back to the roots of Islam, he is now actively involved in philosophy and writing. At the same time, he travels and teaches exten-sively.
Thomas Eich: Bio-ethics in Islam
Anyone labouring under the illusion that the bio-ethical debate on questions such as artificial insemination, cloning, surrogate motherhood, abortion after prenatal screening or sex preference for implanted foetuses is limited to the West should be set right by this slim volume.
