If Islamist currents are often discussed as the radical other to Western modernity, Gudrun Krämer's new book „Der Architekt des Islamismus - Hasan al-Banna und die Muslimbrüder” corrects this assessment. In 1928, the Arabic teacher Hasan al-Banna founded the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the first Islamist movement as we understand it today. He declared war on colonialism, Christian mission and westernisation and saw himself as anti-liberal, anti-secular and anti-colonial. Interestingly, Hasan al-Banna linked Koran, Sunna and Islamic traditions with European ideas of self-help and self-empowerment. And he did not stop at theory, but translated the idea of Islamic reform and renewal into organised, practical action.

With this portrait of the ideological architect of Islamism, Gudrun Krämer opens a key chapter in the history of modern Islam: the radical worlds of imagination, extremist manifestations and the tense relationship between Islamic tradition and reform and Western liberal modernity.

Gudrun Krämer, Professor em. of Islamic Studie at the Freie Universität Berlin, as well as a historian and political scientist. She was principal investigator at the Cluster of Excellence SCRIPTS where she now holds the SCRIPTS Alumni Professorship.

Yassin Musharbash, journalist, author and Head of Data and Investigative Research at the weekly paper Die ZEIT and ZEIT Online.

Sonja Zekri (moderator), journalist, author and correspondent for the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ).

In cooperation with C.H. Beck and silent green.
Language: German.