Articles by Esther Felden

Children & Teens

Anna, a young woman seeking love and Allah Elke Müller is fighting for her daughter Anna, who fell in love with a young Afghan and converted to Islam. Her mother spoke to DW about feeling alienated and her fear that Anna might become radicalized.

May 25, 2019   

(Deutsche Welle) The day that Elke Müller dreads so much is not long off — the day her daughter Anna turns 18. “When she is of age, I can no longer legally hold her back,” Müller told DW. And then, she fears, […]

News: Europe

How a German mining town became a recruiting ground for IS The western town of Dinslaken became known as a Salafi hotbed in 2013 when a group of local youths traveled to Syria to join the 'Islamic State.' Years on, the community is still trying to leave the past behind.

April 20, 2019   

(Deutsche Welle) A deep-seated mistrust is noticeable, even from inside the car, as we drive slowly through the streets of Dinslaken-Lohberg. Due to bad weather, only a few people are outside, following us with their glances. “That’s normal in Lohberg,” social worker […]

Clothing

When your daughter suddenly becomes radicalized Children's life decisions are often difficult for parents to bear and even more difficult to understand — especially when the children radicalize themselves. DW met an affected German mother.

November 10, 2018 and   

(Deutsche Welle) It’s something no mother would ever want to experience. The unexpected appearance of state security officers on your doorstep, to inform you that your daughter was planning to leave for Syria to allegedly join the terrorist militia “Islamic State.” But […]

Moderation & Reform

Battling Salafism on Germany’s streets Saloua Mohammed's most important tool in the fight against Salafism is listening — to parents whose kids radicalize online, to youth who rave about Salafism, and to women returning to Germany after fighting alongside IS.

October 26, 2018   

(Deutsche Welle) “Let’s see who is going to win in the end, shall we?” social worker Saloua Mohammed says. “They won’t get my youths that easily.” “They” are radical Salafists: ultraconservative Muslims who interpret the Quran literally, live their faith the way […]

Legal

The German who went from left-wing terrorist to Salafist sympathizer Bernhard Falk is no stranger to prisons. A convicted leftist terrorist, he spent 12 years behind bars. Now he looks after imprisoned Islamists. Germany's domestic intelligence agency considers him a danger to society.

October 25, 2018 and   

(Deutsche Welle) One of the advantages of a constitutional state that ensures the rule of law is that it also applies those rights to people who deeply reject it. Even those who want to abolish the democratic system and fight by force […]

Books

Invisible and dangerous: The Salafist scene in North Rhine-Westphalia There are more Salafists in North Rhine-Westphalia than in any other German state. The scene has all but vanished from the public eye in its stronghold. But it is still very active, as DW is told by numerous sources.

October 22, 2018 and   

(Deutsche Welle) “Speak after me,” the red-bearded German convert and Salafist preacher Pierre Vogel says as he publicly summons the young woman. Cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd in the pedestrian zone of the western city of Offenbach, she does exactly that, […]