The terror attack in Strasbourg’s Christmas Market: profile of the shooter and social debate

Tuesday 11th of December, a man opened fire in Strasbourg’s city centre, a place called the big Island [la Grande Île], killing 5 people. The attack took place in the emblematic Christmas Market, where the 300 wood chalets, arranged around a large decorated fir tree, attract 2 Millions visitors from all over the world each…

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German Evangelical Church conducts survey, ponders stance on Islam

The Social Science Institute of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) has published a new study titled “Islam and Muslims in Germany: The population’s view”. Just over 2000 respondents were questioned on the phone with respect to their perception of Islam’s place in German society. The study’s results can be accessed here. Although it is not…

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Divided by politics, united by the concept of ‘integration’: Two authors’ books cause debate in Germany

For years, ‘integration’ has been an omnipresent concept in Germany’s public debates on immigration and Islam. Even more so than in other European countries, this notion reigns hegemonic in the German context – even if it is mobilized for a range of very different political diagnoses and projects. Public broadcaster ZDF brought together two of…

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Interreligious bike ride in Berlin sends signal of Jewish-Muslim unity but is overshadowed by accusations

On June 24, 50 bicycle tandems, composed of Jews and Muslims, made their way from Berlin’s central Holocaust memorial, located next to the Brandenburg Gate, to Bebelplatz – a square in front of Humboldt University where the Nazi regime had organised the burning of 20.000 books in 1933.1 The Jewish-Muslim ride sought to send a…

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New law against online hate speech causes stir in Germany as AfD politician’s twitter is suspended

On January 1, 2018, a new law went into effect in Germany with the aim of curbing ‘fake news’ and hate speech online. The Act for the Improvement of Law Enforcement on Social Networks – thankfully shortened in common parlance to the Network Enforcement Law (Netzdurchsetzungsgesetz) targets social media such as Twitter and Facebook, seen…

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