Germany
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Reconstruction in Syria"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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Islamic education in GermanyUnder constant scrutiny
Islamic religious education is neither a threat to democracy nor a cure-all. What dedicated teachers really need is recognition of their role.
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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.
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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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"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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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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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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Reporting on PalestineGermany cannot imagine the suffering in Gaza
For some, the widespread publication of images of starving children from Gaza is a sign of a major shift in the German political and media discourse. Palestinian journalist Asmaa al-Ghoul disagrees.
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Political Islam in JordanWhat's next for the Muslim Brotherhood?
An official ban on the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan has brought the movement to a critical crossroads. Its political arm is struggling to preserve its platform and avoid the fate of its counterparts in Egypt and Tunisia.
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German foreign policyHunger in Gaza—made in Germany
Starving children in Gaza, growing criticism in Germany and political leverage that remains unused. Berlin must not stand idly by and watch this atrocious catastrophe unfold.
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Transitional justice in Syria"Accountability is more important than punishment"
Can there be justice after the horrors Syria has endured? Sociologist Mohammed Bamyeh sees signs that the country's new leadership wants to confront the past, but warns against the dangers of selective justice.
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German academiaWhen neutrality becomes complicity
German scholars of the Middle East often wear the mask of political neutrality. But both Western philosophy and the classical Islamic tradition insist that knowledge carries an ethical duty. A call for moral responsibility.