UNIVERSITÄTEN: "Es gibt eine links-islamistische Wagenburg!"

Professor Susanne Schröter is considered one of the most prominent voices in German Islamism research. Until its closure, she headed the Frankfurt Research Center for Global Islam. My conversation with her focused on the phenomenon of so-called "Islamo-Gauchism"—the ideological proximity between segments of the radical left and Islamist groups at Western universities. Schröter described how alliances are forming at some universities in which identity politics, anti-colonialism, and religious fundamentalism merge. She also spoke about the growing pressure on academics and students who publicly question certain positions. We had a particularly lively discussion about the role of activism on campus and the limits of academic freedom of debate. This conversation demonstrates why confronting ideological alliances at German universities is gaining increasing societal relevance.