Besnik Sinani

Besnik Sinani is a Research Fellow at the Center for Muslim Theology at Tübingen University. He holds a PhD in History and Islamic Studies from Freie Universität Berlin (Summa Cum Laude, 2020) and has held fellowships at institutions including the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient Berlin and New York University. His research focuses on contemporary Islamic movements, Saudi religious policy, transnational Sufi networks, and Sharia implementation in Europe.

• Current Position: Research Fellow (since 2022)
• Previous Affiliations: Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient Berlin (2021)

Research interests include post-Salafism evolution, religious reform in Saudi Arabia, transnational Sufi orders, and the intersection of Islamic law with modern European contexts. His work analyzes how political changes shape religious discourse in authoritarian regimes and explores the cultural dimensions of religious revival in post-communist Southeast Europe.

His publications include studies on Saudi Salafism's transformation, debates over prophetic veneration, and the role of Sufi orders in shaping Islamic futures. He has received prestigious awards including the DAVO Dissertation Award (2021) and German Federal Excellence Program funding (2016–2020).