Seyran Ateş
About the Author
Seyran Ateş is an author, imam, women's rights activist, and former attorney of Turkish and Kurdish descent. Born in Istanbul in 1963, she has become one of Germany's most prominent voices for integration, women's rights, and the modernization of Islam. As the founder and imam of the liberal Ibn-Rushd-Goethe Mosque in Berlin, Ateş advocates for a progressive interpretation of Islam that embraces gender equality, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and the separation of religion and state. The mosque, established in 2017, allows men and women to pray together and has garnered international attention for its reformist approach. Throughout her career, Ateş has courageously fought against forced marriages, honor killings, and female genital mutilation. Her advocacy work has come at significant personal cost - she survived an assassination attempt in 1984 while working at a women's counseling center, and continues to live under 24-hour police protection due to numerous death threats. Ateş has authored several influential books including "The Multicultural Mistake" (2007), "Islam Needs a Sexual Revolution" (2009), and "Selam, Frau Imamin" (2017). Her life and work are also documented in the award-winning 2021 film "Seyran Ateş: Sex, Revolution and Islam." For her contributions to civil society, Ateş has received numerous accolades including the Federal Cross of Merit (First Class) of Germany, the Berlin State Order of Merit, and the Human Rights Prize from the University of Oslo. As a co-founder of PEN Berlin and an initiator of the European Citizens' Initiative "Stop Extremism," she continues to advocate for secular values, integration, and the protection of human rights across Europe.
Resources by Seyran Ateş
Panel: Navigating Doubt and Dogma in the Practice of Free Religion
This panel from the 2025 IARF European and Middle East Conference features a discussion on the challenges of practicing and advocating for religious freedom. Moderated by Pascal Reddig, the session brings together Seyran Ateş (founder, Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque), Renate Bauer (President, Federation of Free Religious Congregations in Germany), Robert Innes (former IARF President), and George Williams (then-current IARF President).
Describing the subject as a "tightrope walk," the panelists explore the balance between upholding religious freedom and confronting harmful dogmas. Drawing on their professional and personal experiences, they discuss strategies for supporting individuals who question their traditions, engaging with intolerance, and advocating for oppressed communities. The conversation touches on key themes such as the role of language in shaping belief, the search for hope in an era of anxiety, and the intergenerational work required to foster a more liberative approach to faith.
Read LessLimits of Tolerance and Liberal Religion
At the IARF Europe and Middle East conference on September 12, 2025, lawyer and liberal mosque founder Seyran Ates delivered a keynote address on the "Limits of Tolerance and Religious Freedom." She argued for a progressive, reform-oriented Islam inspired by Enlightenment values, presenting her Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque in Berlin as a model for gender equality and interfaith dialogue.
Ates expressed grave concern over the growing influence of political Islam in Europe, particularly within German schools. She cited examples of religiously motivated bullying, the imposition of rigid doctrines, and the rejection of democratic values and LGBTQ+ rights by some students.
Calling for a "sexual revolution" within Islam through a modern, historical-critical reading of the Quran, Ates critiqued what she sees as misguided tolerance from some liberal circles. She concluded with a firm assertion that a democratic society must be intolerant of intolerance and actively defend its freedoms against all forms of extremism.
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