At present, the discussion of the current understanding of Islam is of burning significance. September 11th transformed the ideological divide between the West and the Islamic world into a profound abyss. The necessity of dialogue and a differentiated understanding of Islam were made drastically clear. However, discussion should not be limited to a theological debate on “Islam itself“ – above all, the social context must be analyzed. The lecture series “Dialogue with Islam/ Dialogue with Muslims” has two goals: on the one hand, to investigate the social and political contexts in the conflicted zone between the Islamic world and the West, and on the other hand to call attention to the diverse facets of the Islamic world.
The conference introduces Islamic intellectuals of modern orientation from Indonesia, South Africa, Egypt and Turkey as well as representatives of Muslim groups in Western Europe. On the very first evening the usual roles will be reversed, providing a new perspective on the dialogue: here it will be the representatives of public debate in Germany who answer the questions of Islamic intellectuals. German, Arabic and English with simultaneous translation
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