Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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Two years after October 7Making a case for a wide-ranging viewpoint
Two years after October 7, the need for honest analysis has never been more urgent. Real understanding can only emerge when we begin at the right place—by looking beyond recent events and the history of occupation of the Palestinian territories.
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Israel’s former intelligence chief on 7 October“Our actions are the result of fear”
Two years after the Hamas attack, Israel remains in shock, says Ami Ayalon. In this interview, the former intelligence chief explains why Israeli society has failed to learn the lessons of 7 October, why the Gaza war must end, and why he rejects allegations of genocide.
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Deported from GermanyYazidi survivors confront the harsh reality of return
Thousands of Yazidis fled IS genocide and found refuge in Germany. Now, many have been ordered to return to Iraq, where they face dire living conditions, shattered infrastructure and the threat of further violence.
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Syrian newspaper Enab Baladi"We offer an alternative to propaganda and hate"
The team behind Enab Baladi, the revolutionary media organisation founded at the start of the 2011 uprising, has returned to Syria. Co-founder Kholoud Helmi explains why their presence in Damascus is more crucial than ever.
Politics
More about Politics-
Syrian President Ahmed al-SharaaThe false saviour
Ahmed al-Sharaa is celebrated for liberating Syria from the Assad regime. But the former militia leader has a dark past. Will the people, out of desperation, once again fall prey to a brutal dictator?
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Egyptian activist pardonedAlaa Abd El-Fattah is free
After years in prison, democracy activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah is free. Egypt's president has officially pardoned the 43-year-old. Read by a selection of texts by and about one of the key figures of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.
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Hamas in GazaA fractured movement, an absent leadership
Hamas miscalculated. It failed to anticipate the scale of Israel's retaliation after 7 October, which has left Gaza in ruins, eroding support for the movement and provoking the anger of the people it claims to represent.
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Refugee rights in Egypt"We are in a legal vacuum"
Egypt hosts more than one million registered refugees, most from Sudan. Recent legislation has stripped away protections, creating chaos in the country's asylum system and violating international law, says Nour Khalil, director of Refugees Platform Egypt (RPE).
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Sumud FlotillaTunisia at the forefront of global convoy to Gaza
More than 50 boats are set to sail to Gaza in an attempt to break Israel's blockade. While European activists dominate headlines, the mission unites participants from over 40 countries, including many from Tunisia, where solidarity with Palestine runs deep.
Society
More about Society-
"The Misguided Islam Debate" by Teseo La MarcaA plea for a pluralistic Islam
In his new book, Teseo La Marca argues that Germany's debate on Islam swings between extremes and calls for more nuance as an antidote to fundamentalism. But does he practise what he preaches?
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Syrian activist The Darvish"Queerness is freedom and freedom is indivisible"
Belly dancer and queer organiser The Darvish arrived in Berlin in 2016, where they found a welcoming community and room for self-expression. But they warn that, as German politics shifts to the right, this community is under threat and its spaces are vanishing.
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Syria's shadow economySex work, captagon and currency
Having grown significantly during the war, Syria's informal market for sex, drugs and money continues to thrive. Meanwhile, weak regulation is discouraging investment in the formal economy.
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Egypt's TikTok crackdownSuzy el-Ordoneya and the politics of social media fame
A police crackdown in Egypt is targeting TikTok influencers. Among them is Suzy el-Ordoneya (Suzy the Jordanian), whose rapid rise has brought her into conflict with official state morality.
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Kafr Nabl, SyriaTraces of the revolution
When the Syrian revolution began in 2011, Kafr Nabl went from a sleepy, provincial town to a hub of resistance. Today, it resembles a ghost town. Its story may help ensure the revolution's original ideals are not forgotten.
Culture
More about Culture-
Documentary "The Moelln Letters"An indictment of forgetting
In 1992, shortly after German reunification, neo-Nazis in Mölln carried out an arson attack targeting Turkish families. "The Moelln Letters" follows the survivors, who just recently discovered the hundreds of letters of solidarity withheld from them for decades.
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Artists in SyriaReclaiming space, testing limits
Since Assad's fall, Syrian artists and intellectuals have been seeking ways to respond to a transformed reality. Four cultural workers reflect on the shape of the cultural sphere in the new Syria.
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Afghan poet Matiullah TurabA critical voice even the Taliban listened to
Afghan poet Matiullah Turab has unexpectedly died. Turab saw himself as the modest voice of a tormented people—and even the extremists listened.
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Books on Israel-PalestineThe perennial question of the West
New publications on the Israel-Palestine conflict: Alena Jabarine writes about inequality and arbitrary violence in the West Bank, Omar El Akkad settles scores with the West and Gilbert Achcar analyses the ideological roots of Hamas and Zionism.
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Moroccan Gnawa festivalA Sufi tradition on the world stage
A festival in Morocco is bringing Gnawa music to the mainstream. Shaped by migration, slavery and a long struggle for recognition, the once marginalised Sufi tradition is now internationally renowned.
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
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Two years after October 7
Making a case for a wide-ranging viewpoint
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Musician Michael Barenboim on Gaza
"Nothing justifies genocide"
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Prostitution in Tunisia
The big reveal
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Kurdistan + 100
Stories from a future republic
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Profile: German-Turkish film director Fatih Akin
The cutting edge of reality
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Identity politics
The pain of India's partition