BQ 821 – 01/2025
Is political Islam a challenge for Europe’s security?

6. January 2025

Christine Schirrmacher speaks about the manifestations of Islamism

(Bonn, 06.01.2025) On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Islamic scholar Prof. Dr. Christine Schirrmacher gave a lecture on the topic: “Political Islam: A challenge for security in Europe?” Schirrmacher spoke to around 40 guests about the various manifestations of Islamism. The event was part of the Franco-German Strategic Dialogue series and was organized by the Bonn-based institutions Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS), Institut Français and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

The welcoming address was given by Iris B. Müller, advisor to the NRW regio­nal office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. The three speakers then gave short introductory talks: Prof. Dr. Christine Schirrmacher, Professor of Islamic Studies at the Universities of Bonn and Leuven/Belgium, Dr. Stefanie Winkler, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Economic History and International Relations at Stockholm University, and Christiane Heidbrink, Research Associate at the Center for Global Studies at the University of Bonn.

Prof. Dr. Christine Schirrmacher © ETF, Leuven

A discussion between the speakers, which was moderated by Alexander Weyers­häuser, Chairman of the Bonn University Group for Foreign and Security Policy, was followed by a debate with a very interested audience.

Christine Schirrmacher explained the activities of Islamist groups and their goals, which always aim to abolish liberal democracy, regardless of their choice of means. While some groups pursue this goal by propagating or even using violence—these include jihadist groups such as the so-called “Islamic State” (IS) in particular—other groups pursue their goals by “peaceful” means, for example by proselytizing via the internet, via mosque networks or through political lobbying in influential positions in (local) politics or civil society. Democracy is only ever used to ultimately abolish democracy.

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