Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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One year after AssadThe road to a new Syria
A year ago, rebel forces ousted Syria’s Assad regime. How has the country changed since? Leading experts weigh in.
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Assad's Syria"Our documents reveal how state terror was organised"
Human rights activist Hassan al-Hariri risked his life to gather evidence of the atrocities committed by the Assad regime. One year after Assad's fall, he still sees major shortcomings in Syria's process of coming to terms with its past.
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Egyptian feminist Nawal El Saadawi"Intersectional long before the term was coined"
A seminal feminist text by Nawal El Saadawi has been translated into English and German for the first time, over five decades after it first appeared in Arabic. Publisher and translator Sophie Haesen explains why it should be essential reading worldwide.
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Architecture in LibyaReclaiming a vanishing colonial heritage
As Benghazi’s Italian-era architecture slowly disappears, an exhibition brings together architects and artists rethinking the city’s history — reassessing the colonial past without celebrating it.
Politics
More about Politics-
Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad"Our very existence is seen as a provocation"
Plestia Alaqad’s reporting from Gaza in 2023 reached millions worldwide. Now based in Australia, she reflects on fleeing her home and living with survivor’s guilt while representing Palestine to the international media.
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Disarming Hezbollah in LebanonNasrallah on the Pigeon Rocks
When the Lebanese government moved to disarm Hezbollah, the influential militia responded with a symbolic show of force in the heart of Beirut. Is it projecting strength, or masking political weakness?
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UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-EnanyPolitics over preservation?
Khaled El-Enany has been appointed to lead UNESCO, sparking intense debate. Critics cite the former minister's role in controversial demolitions and redevelopment projects in Egypt, arguing that his approach to heritage was shaped by political considerations.
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Rebuilding KhartoumThe same old tale of power and exclusion
While Sudan's de facto government focuses on reviving the capital, its reconstruction policies follow a familiar pattern: channelling resources to the centre while neglecting the marginalised, war-torn periphery.
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50 years of occupation in Western SaharaThe "pearl of the south" is still not free
Morocco celebrates Sahrawi heritage through state TV, tourism campaigns and festivals. But self-determination for Western Sahara remains a distant prospect, while the central government deepens its hold on the territory through major development projects.
Society
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War crimes in SyriaThe starvation of Yarmouk on trial
A new trial of Syrian war crimes suspects has opened in Koblenz, Germany. It's the first since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, and the first ever to charge starvation as a war crime.
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Child labour in EgyptNew regulations won't end poverty
Whether in supermarkets, workshops or factories, child labour is ubiquitous in Egypt. A new law aims to curb it, but labour laws alone will not solve the structural problems that drive children to work.
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Islah HassniyyehGaza's feminist legal pioneer
Islah Hassniyyeh was the first woman to open a law firm in Gaza. In September, she died under Israeli blockade in Gaza City. A portrait of a trailblazing lawyer and lifelong advocate for women's rights in Palestine.
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Syrian reconstruction"Debris isn't waste"
Concrete, brick, steel: Aref al-Swaidani wants to rebuild Syria from its ruins. In Weimar he’s conducting research on recycling building materials.
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"Nostra Aetate" at 60A landmark for Muslim-Christian understanding
Six decades on, the message of mutual respect between faiths, enshrined in the Catholic Church's "Nostra Aetate", feels as urgent as ever. It's a reminder that dialogue is not naïve, but necessary.
Culture
More about Culture-
Cherien Dabis's "All That's Left of You"Palestinian identity on screen
In "All That's Left of You", Cherien Dabis intertwines a three-generation family saga with the history of Israel and Palestine, placing her within a growing movement of filmmakers negotiating Palestinian identity through cinema.
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"In the Land of the Forgotten" by Aliyeh AtaeiStories of war and the fight for freedom
With a keen sense for nuance, Aliyeh Ataei describes a life between Iran and Afghanistan, one marked by resistance, a search for identity and constant confrontation with social norms.
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AlgeriaA DIY cultural renaissance
A new independent, youth-led movement is reshaping Algerian culture. Four young artists reflect on their experiences and efforts to carve out space outside of official frameworks.
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Art in IstanbulCurating on shifting ground
The art world came to Turkey in September for two high-profile events: Contemporary Istanbul and the 18th Istanbul Biennial. Against a backdrop of political crisis and growing censorship, organisers and artists found creative ways to stay relevant.
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Jina Khayyer's "In the Heart of the Cat"The Iran that Germany wants to see
A novel about Iran, full of errors, clichés and exoticism—yet lauded in Germany. "In the Heart of the Cat" exposes how readily the German market embraces stereotypes, as long as they fit readers' expectations.
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
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One year after Assad
The road to a new Syria
-
Architecture in Libya
Reclaiming a vanishing colonial heritage
-
Assad's Syria
"Our documents reveal how state terror was organised"
-
Egyptian feminist Nawal El Saadawi
"Intersectional long before the term was coined"
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Sex tourism in Egypt
A bride for the summer
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Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad
"Our very existence is seen as a provocation"