Culture

- Interview
Iranian-American curator Negah Angha
"Religious practice can take place anywhere"

Negah Angha's upcoming exhibition "Seen and Unseen – Sufi Life in Frankfurt" is an intimate peek into Sufi practice in Germany. Guided by her interest in encounters across cultural and religious boundaries, Angha brings together experience in art, research and policy.
Interview by Julia Gerlach
Egyptian novel "The Passerby"

Gender and society in transition

In Ibrahim Abdel Meguid's novel "The Passerby", the philosophy student Lamia becomes Hamza. His transition runs parallel to another: that of Egypt, caught between the brief freedom of 2011 and the grip of the security state.
By Mohamed Gamal
Arthouse film in Morocco

Keeping Tangier's cinematic history alive

20 years ago, the historic Cinema Rif in Tangier was renovated and reopened as the Cinémathèque de Tanger, one of the few arthouse cinemas in North Africa today. Elisa Pierandrei traces its history and place in Morocco's vibrant film culture.
By Elisa Pierandrei
- Commentary
Remembering Sliman Mansour
The artist behind a Palestinian icon

"Camel of Hardship" by Sliman Mansour, who died on 24 August, is one of the most recognisable images in Palestinian art. Asmaa al-Ghoul tells how it came to appear on walls across the country and why it remains deeply embedded in collective memory.
Commentary by Asmaa al-Ghoul
- Interview
Egyptian photographer Roger Anis
"The Nile is part of our collective consciousness"

Egyptian photographer Roger Anis has spent nearly a decade documenting the world's longest river. In 2024, he revived an ancient Nile procession with local fishermen, turning their boats into a moving celebration of the river and its communities.
Interview by Shrouk Ghonim
- Interview
Miss Syria 2026
"For me, beauty is self-confidence and presence"

At this year’s Miss Arab World pageant, which took place in Cairo, Syria was represented by Muna Almohamad, who was born and raised in Germany. She wants to encourage women to be true to themselves and become more visible.
Interview by Ceyda Nurtsch
Iranian "festival cinema"

Made for Western critics?

For decades, directors like Abbas Kiarostami and Jafar Panahi have found success at the world's most prestigious film festivals. But some Iranian critics question whether international audiences reward films that challenge or reinforce Orientalist views of Iran.
By Changiz M. Varzi
- Interview
Syrian-German director Anis Hamdoun
"Theatre should represent Syrians in all their diversity"

Born into a prominent theatre family in Homs, Anis Hamdoun rebuilt his career in Germany from scratch after leaving Syria in 2012. The director and playwright reflects on life between cultural worlds and the future of Syrian theatre.
Interview by Badr Al-Aqabani
Egyptian film "Asad"

Slave drama sparks debate on national identity

In Egypt, a historical film has sparked a present-day controversy, with critics accusing "Asad" of distorting the past and promoting Afrocentric narratives. Beneath the political rhetoric, however, lies a deeper cultural dispute.
By Rehab Eliawa
Iranian author Shahrnush Parsipur

Writing in defiance

With the death of Shahrnush Parsipur, Iran has lost one of its most indomitable literary voices. The author of "Women Without Men" confronted censorship and oppression throughout her life. Most recently, she refused to glorify the war against Iran as a liberation.
By Mohammad Mehdipour
Lebanese literature in translation

The rediscovery of Alis al-Bustani

Published in 1891, Alis al-Bustani's only novel "Sa'iba" dismantles the comforting assumptions of Arab modernity. A new translation restores to view a woman writer long consigned to obscurity.
By Muhammed Nafih Wafy
- Interview
Islamic history scholar Sabine Schmidtke
"The Holocaust reshaped knowledge production about Islam"

Hedwig Klein's life and scholarship were cut short by the Holocaust in 1942. In her new book, Sabine Schmidtke traces Klein's intellectual legacy and sets the record straight on her involvement in Hans Wehr's Arabic dictionary.
Interview by SherAli K. Tareen