Tag Archives: Society

IFI Press Release on the Occasion of an Interview with Tariq Ramadan from May 20, 2009

BONN (May 29, 2009) – When, in the Internet portal qantara, a “modern understanding of religious belief on the basis of a separation of state and church” is attributed to Tariq Ramadan, the Egyptian-born Swiss scholar of Islam, then one should pay attention to the exact meaning of the individual key concepts and catchwords used by him in order better to place Ramadan’s understanding of Islam in his overall concept, so the assessment by the scholar of Islam Dr. Christine Schirrmacher from the Institute of Islamic Studies of the German Evangelical Alliance.

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.

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.

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.

Beltheshazzar & Abednego: The Mosque and its Role in Society

The building of new mosques in traditional European cities does not only change and affect the landscape but also sets a signal for a lasting presence of a religion which will not be satisfied to publicly only address issues relating to religion affairs, but rather wants to be a religion which will increasingly be an impressive and decisive voice in societal and political matters. The authors of this small booklet entitled “The Mosque and its Role in Society” are concerned to present a concise treaty to inform about the self-understanding of Islam.