Boko Haram

Politics casts a long shadow

This evening, Algeria will play Senegal in Cairo International Stadium in the final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Joseph Hammond takes a look at how the football championship has unfolded for Egypt and its relevance for the country, which was not originally slated to host the competition at all

Negotiating with jihadists?

In Asia and Africa, Muslim terrorists are regarded as combatants with concerns that should be taken seriously. Experts advise dialogue in lieu of extermination. By Charlotte Wiedemann

Pawns of the Saudis

Rich Saudis are investing millions in building mosques in Africa. And they are being accused of using radical preachers to destabilise the region. But there has long been much more at stake on the African continent than proselytising. By Gwendolin Hilse

What hides in the woods

Satellite images of Duhu, Gubla or Gulak reveal little. A road flanked by scattered settlements runs through sparse terrain. Somewhat further away, the Sambisa forest. North-eastern Nigeria – home to the Islamist terrorist organisation Boko Haram, described by Wolfgang Bauer in his shocking and poignant reportage ″Stolen Girls″

The ever-present threat

Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al-Shabab in Somalia: Islamist groups dominate the image of Islam in Africa. Yet it is too simplistic to assert that Islam south of the Sahara is becoming more conservative as whole. By Daniel Pelz

Tarred with the same brush

The fear of Islam is socially construed and tied to societally entrenched anti-Muslim racism that fails to distinguish between Islam and Islamism. Essay by Andreas Bock

The pull of war

He is one of Germany's most sought-after photographers, his main theme: war. Andy Spyra talks to Bettina Baumann about the hurdles and limits of conflict zone photography – and why it fascinates him

BBC Radio: How Islam got political

Eliminate the breeding grounds

One of the reasons for terrorism is a world order that is out of whack, which no longer reacts appropriately to crises around the globe, writes Syrian publicist Mohammed Dibou. Neither ″national″ nor ″continental″ measures can offer the protection craved by the West's citizens

Between myth and reality

Although the Ottoman Caliphate was abolished in 1924, there remains a lasting fascination for this lost institution. The Tubingen Islamic studies scholar and historian Heinz Halm conducted meticulous research on the Fatimid caliphate in 11-12th century Egypt. Andreas Pflitsch read the book

An unlikely safe haven

Migrants and refugees from Africa and beyond find shelter in a former major smuggling route to Italy. Zuwara, once a muster point for those seeking to jump on a raft to Europe, is now proving a haven for those fleeing conflict and instability in other countries. By Karlos Zurutuza

Iconoclasm: the counter-narrative

Although received wisdom would have us believe otherwise, Islam is not actually an anti-iconic religion. Indeed, down through the ages, it has always produced images. Today, artistic creativity needs to resist the appalling flood of visual information being produced by the jihadists. By Asiem el Difraoui and Antonia Blau