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Tunisian gender scholar Amel Grami"Arab culture's flexibility distinguishes it from others"
Concepts of gender are shifting across the Arab world. Tunisian writer and academic Amel Grami reflects on emerging approaches to gender analysis in the region and examines how colonial legacies have shaped existing perceptions.
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Israel and PalestineHow to talk about Zionism
Criticism of the ideology underpinning Israel's foundation remains contentious in Germany. In the US, however, a significant shift is taking place. The Zionist consensus within the Jewish community is fracturing and debate is opening up.
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Clan electionsHow families are filling Gaza’s leadership void
Amid a catastrophic institutional vacuum, extended families are assuming an unprecedented role in Gaza. Across the Strip, Palestinian clans are holding elections to ensure they are taken into account by aid organisations. Meanwhile, some have political ambitions.
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Syria after AssadPromises of the revolution remain unfulfilled
Since December 2024, Syria has been oscillating between euphoria and disappointment. The British-Syrian analyst Robin Yassin-Kassab sees optimism as a resource, but the new government’s focus on stability as a potential pitfall.
Politics
More about Politics-
War in LebanonBint Jbeil – portrait of a decimated city
The Israeli army is demolishing entire towns in Lebanon, and with them, the rich history of the Shiite region in the country's south. The beleaguered town of Bint Jbeil offers a primer to the border region’s turbulent past.
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Q&AWhat is happening in Sudan?
Since 2023, a brutal war has raged in Sudan, but the conflict receives little attention in the West. Who is fighting whom in the North African country, and what lies ahead?
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Migration through BulgariaUnmarked graves on the EU border
Bulgaria has assumed a key role in controlling migration into the EU. People attempting to cross from Turkey to Bulgaria report violence, pushbacks and unanswered emergency calls. Dozens have been killed or gone missing.
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Political scientist Scott Straus on Sudan"All the fundamentals of genocide are present"
Genocide scholar Scott Straus has spent decades studying the causes of mass violence. He examines the dynamics of violence in Darfur, arguing that international inaction on Sudan highlights a broader crisis in genocide prevention.
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Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-SudaniIraq's economic reform experiment
Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani is banking on hands-on reforms and new infrastructure projects to restore trust in the state. His approach has delivered short-term stability and popularity. But Iraq's oil dependence and economic weaknesses remain.
Society
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Alcohol ban in SyriaWill Damascus soon sober up?
In June, a ban on serving alcohol is due to come into force in Damascus. Bar owners are worried, while the population remains divided. Some consider the ban necessary, others see it as a serious infringement on personal freedoms.
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Discrimination in GermanyWhen racism is hard to name
In Germany, discrimination is often subtle enough to go unchallenged. For many migrants, experiences of exclusion are marked not by open hostility, but by pauses, implication, and casual remarks. Such moments are difficult to prove as racism—yet impossible to forget.
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Gaza’s lost booksHow to preserve what remains
In Gaza, people are working to salvage books from the ruins of libraries, while others are digitising historical texts. The first public libraries are set to reopen soon, even though many important books have been lost for good.
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Egypt's "World Press Photo" winner"If we as locals don’t tell these stories, who will?"
Photographer Mohamed Mahdy has documented life in Alexandria, where residents suffer from severe pollution from a cement factory. He explains how they are pushing back, why he looks for his stories close to home, and what he expects from international media.
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LebanonShia families struggle for shelter in divided Beirut
More than one million Lebanese have been displaced by Israeli strikes. Destruction and occupation have made return impossible for many from the south, including Shia families, who are stranded in Beirut with limited shelter amid deepening sectarian mistrust.
Culture
More about Culture-
"Palestine 36"A film tracing the roots of colonial violence
"Palestine 36" depicts the 1936-1939 revolt against British Mandate rule. It recreates an often-forgotten turning point in Palestinian history in vivid detail.
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Berlin-based rapper Siba"Rage can be very constructive"
With "Dounana", Siba has struck a chord. Rapped in Arabic, the track takes aim at colonialism and imperialism and is spreading rapidly online. A conversation about anger, injustice and empowerment.
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Lebanese film "Do You Love Me"A complicated love
Lana Daher’s new film "Do You Love Me" is a journey through Lebanon’s film archives. Using collage, it traces the history of a country given to repressing its complicated and violent past.
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Syrian novelistThe paradox of Colette Khoury
Syrian author Colette Khoury has died at 95. She wrote with unusual courage about women’s freedom, yet spent her later decades in the service of a regime that stifled the very ideals she once championed.
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Marrakesh and CasablancaTwo cities shaping contemporary art in Morocco
Morocco's art scene is diverse and growing, spanning independent spaces, commercial galleries and international fairs. While Marrakesh positions itself as a global hub, Casablanca's scene is closely tied to its history and political reality.
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
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Israel and Palestine
How to talk about Zionism
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Clan elections
How families are filling Gaza’s leadership void
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Sex tourism in Egypt
A bride for the summer
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Women in Saudi Arabia
Caught in a System of Gender Apartheid
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Palestinian-Chilean singer
Elyanna poised to take Arabic pop global
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Syria after Assad
Promises of the revolution remain unfulfilled