Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

Interview with Haitham al-Maleh ''We Want the Syrian Regime to Be Further Isolated''

The Syrian human rights lawyer Haitham al-Maleh is calling on the international community to increase pressure on the Assad regime...

Parliamentary Elections and the Mubarak Regime

The present election results, however, will make it rather difficult for the Egyptian regime to portray the poll with a democratic sheen...

"The Brotherhood": a Controversial Egyptian Television Series

Few Arabic television series have led to such controversy as the Egyptian series "The Brotherhood." It deals with the history of the Muslim Brotherhood and tells the story of the life of its founder, Hassan al-Banna. Nelly Youssef reports from Cairo..

Interview with Ruprecht Polenz

Chairman of the German Bundestag's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ruprecht Polenz, argues in favour of Turkish accession to the EU, and grapples with negative western perceptions of the nation, as well as of Islam. He spoke to Eren Güvercin..

Interview with Gerhard Schweizer

Sabre-rattling in its foreign affairs and power struggles in its domestic politics are prompting many observers to wonder where exactly Turkey is heading. The cultural historian Gerhard Schweizer, an authority on Turkish society, rejects fears of Islamification in Turkish politics as "out of touch with reality". Christian Horbach spoke to him about how Turkey is developing...

"Religion Serves the People"

The most senior Shiite cleric in Lebanon, Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah, has died. The intellectual guiding force of the Shiite Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, Fadlallah supported the armed fight against Israel but condemned Islamic terrorism. He also worked for the peaceful coexistence of the different denominations in Lebanon. This portrait by Stephan Rosiny...

Interview with Mohamed ElBaradei on Democracy in Egypt

How do you change a country in which the opposition suffers violent repression? Gero von Randow and Michael Thumann spoke to the Egyptian Mohamed ElBaradei, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, about democracy in Egypt and the role of Islam..

Birthday Greetings from Hizbollah

The popular adage that the most concise book title is also the most attention grabbing isn't always true. A title like "The Media Relations Department of Hizbollah Wishes You a Happy Birthday" is guaranteed to excite the interest of readers following events in the Middle East. A review by Angela Schader..

A Spiritual Bridge between East and West

To this day, activists of various political hues still draw on the thinking of Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistan's spiritual father and influential 20th-century philosopher, to such an extent that he also looks set to play a significant role in the future of the country...

Pioneering Figure in a New Arab Enlightenment

The Moroccan philosopher Mohammed Abed Al-Jabri has died at the age of 76. His death robs the Arab world of one of its most influential critical voices in the debate over identity, history and politics...

Interview with Sefer Turan

Turkish state-run TRT has launched a new Arabic TV channel, At Turkiyya. Speaking to Ay?e Karabat, At Turkiyya Coordinator Sefer Turan says its aim is to break down the barriers between the Arab and Turkish worlds, not generate propaganda..

Central Asia

Militant Islamism is flourishing in the forgotten prisons of the former Soviet Republics, one that is starting to pose a threat to the entire region, writes Robert Templer, Asia Programme Director of the International Crisis Group...

Wasla – Egypt's Magazine for Bloggers without Blogs

Internet blogs are today taking on increasing importance in Egypt. But many readers simply don't have the time to do so much reading online. The new blog magazine "Wasla" is setting out to change that. Haytham Abdelathim presents the first issue...

End of the Dialogue?

At the beginning of March, IslamOnline.net was one of the most successful websites in the Middle East. Now the editorial team are locked in a power struggle with their Islamist financial backers in Qatar. Alfred Hackensberger reports..

New Grand Sheikh at Al-Azhar University Fighting Extremism in A Suit and Tie

The new grand sheikh of al-Azhar University, Ahmed al-Tayyib, is considered open-minded and moderate. He rejects all forms of political Islam and would like to continue to lead the most renowned and respected seat of Sunni learning in the progressive tradition established by his predecessor...

Is Egypt Becoming a Family Republic?

Egypt's president Hosni Mubarak's is almost thirty years in office, the country is suffering from democratic deficits. Therefore, in order to initiate change, Europe must demand a relaxation of the restrictive election regulations, writes Stephan Roll..

Media Critique on the Marwa El-Sherbini Case Desperately Seeking Intercultural Sensitivity

The case of Marwa El-Sherbini is a prime example of mass-media miscommunication between cultures. The media in both countries were incapable of mastering the cultural balancing act without major slip-ups, and failed all over again when it came to building bridges towards solving the conflict...

Geert Wilders and the Right-Wing Populist Threat

The recent elections for the European Parliament showed that, as elsewhere, political change is on..

"There Are Parallels between Islamism and National Socialism"

In 1945, following the Second World War, many prominent Nazis sought refuge in Arab countries. The Algerian writer Boualem Sansal has addressed this chapter of history in his latest novel. Martina Sabra met him in Frankfurt, Germany..

Critical Overtones Not Appreciated

The Syrian State not only influences the press, but is also increasingly trying to wield control over the Internet. One of the reasons is the regime’s fear of the growing influence online media and the resulting loss of control. A report by Kristin Helberg from Damascus..