Research on political Islamism and nationalism

Conference in Münster on 29-30 November 2023 – Cooperation between the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” and the “Islam and Politics” research centre at the University of Münster, and the Federal Ministry of the Interior – With a panel on antisemitism, nationalism and Islamism – Khorchide: “Scholars have long overlooked the fusion of Islamism and nationalism”

Press release 22 November 2023 

Research findings on political Islamism and authoritarian nationalism will be presented at an international conference at the University of Münster’s Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” next week. “Since the 1990s, Al-Qaeda and the events of 11 September 2001 have shifted the academic view of Islamism so that it now focuses on security policy”, says Islamic theologian Prof. Dr. Mouhanad Khorchide. “This has overlooked the fusion of non-violent political Islamism with nationalism. More recent studies are closing this research deficit”.

Taking place in Münster on 29-30 November 2023, the conference “Political Islamism and authoritarian nationalism” is being organized by the Cluster of Excellence and the “Islam and Politics” research centre at the Centre for Islamic Theology (ZIT) at the University of Münster in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of the Interior. ZIT director Khorchide has prepared the event with the religious psychologist Dr. Sarah Demmrich from the Cluster of Excellence and the Islamic scholar Dr. Evelyn Bokler-Völkel, as well as with the Islamic theologian Abdulkerim Şenel from ZIT. A public discussion on 29 November 2023 will also focus on the relationship between antisemitism, nationalism and Islamism.

When it comes to Germany, the lectures will focus on issues such as preventative work against foreign extremism, antisemitism among Muslims, Turkish right-wing extremism, the Muslim Brotherhood, and right-wing populist and Islamist ideas as a challenge for a democratic Muslim civil society. The relationship between Islamism and nationalism will be analyzed from the perspective of political science and the history of ideas. The programme also includes contributions on the situation in countries such as Turkey, Morocco and Yemen. 

“The findings we will be discussing at the conference will focus on legalistic Islamism and the subtle methods it uses to challenge constitutional democracies”, explains Khorchide. “We are also focusing on the influence of foreign governments and the links between Islamism and nationalism. They are often seen as separate, but are becoming increasingly intertwined”. (exc/vvm/tec)

Public panel (without registration): Antisemitism, nationalism, Islamism – how are they intertwined? With Claudia Dantschke (Hayat-Deutschland and Grüner Vogel), Kenan D. Güngör (think.difference, Vienna), Volker Beck (Tikvah Institute), Prof. Peter Wetzels (University of Hamburg). Moderated by Prof. Mouhanad Khorchide and Dr. Sarah Demmrich, Schloss der Universität Münster, Schlossplatz 2, 48149 Münster, 29 November 2023, 6.15-7.45 pm.

Programme: https://www.uni-muenster.de/Religion-und-Politik/aktuelles/2023/Tagung_Politischer_Islamismus_und_autoritaerer_Nationalismus.html

Registration for journalists: islam.politik@uni-muenster.de