Islamism has been a concern for politicians, security agencies, and civil society long before the recent attacks in Solingen and Mannheim. At the same time, public debate lacks nuance, conflating Islamism with migration and fueling prejudices. Anyone who wants to understand this complex phenomenon and remain capable of acting needs a well-founded, interdisciplinary perspective—which is exactly what the new anthology „Islamismus als gesellschaftliche Herausforderung. Ursachen, Wirkungen, Handlungsoptionen“ (English: „Islamism as a Social Challenge. Causes, Effects, Options for Action“) offers. The anthology presents the findings of the RADIS funding line, which involved over 100 researchers from a wide range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. The editors Shaimaa Abdellah, Sina Tultschinetski, Julian Junk, and Manuela Freiheit are part of a team from PRIF, the Institute for Interdisciplinary Conflict and Violence Research Bielefeld (IKG), and the Violence Prevention Network (VPN). This team accompanied the knowledge transfer of the research projects in the funding line.
The anthology focuses on questions such as:
- What causes and dynamics lead to radicalization?
- How does Islamism affect society, politics, and the media?
- What discourses on Islamism shape the public climate in Germany and Europe?
- Which prevention strategies and approaches have proven effective?
The volume contains both empirical analyses and practice-oriented concepts. Case studies from Germany and Europe shed light on radicalization prevention in various contexts, ranging from schools to digital spaces. Thus, the volume combines fundamental scientific research with concrete options for action for politicians, authorities, and civil society actors.
It also includes a contribution from the KURI research project, in which PRIF and IFSH researchers examine how society has dealt with Islamism since 2001. They focus in particular on security policy trends and the discourse surrounding them. The authors include PRIF colleagues Julian Junk, Mona Klöckner, Lea Scheu, Manjana Sold, and Isabelle Stephanblome.
The anthology was published by Springer in September 2025 and is now available (in German).