Essays
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Middle East conflict and Germany's culture of remembranceIn solidarity with the marginalised
What needs to happen for Jews to feel safe in Germany? We have to see immigrants as allies in the fight against anti-Semitism. With more foresight in the Middle East conflict, a more precise raison d'etat and an inclusive culture of Holocaust remembrance
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Music in Taliban AfghanistanForgotten sounds
Kharabat was once Kabul's sacred music district, but since the Taliban returned to Afghanistan, music has been banned. Yet those brought up for a life of performance have not given up hope
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War in the Middle EastFive scenarios for the future of Gaza
In the midst of the current war, there is still no concrete plan for the future of Gaza. Preparations for the day after need to be made now. Muriel Asseburg and René Wildangel talk about possible scenarios and what needs to happen
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Palestine's cultural heritageThe first digital Palestinian embroidery database
Award-winning entrepreneur Zain Masri has so far digitised about 1,000 traditional Palestinian cross-stitch patterns, now available for download from her platform, Tirazain
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Israel-Palestine conflictMuslim sceptics, the West and democracy
Events unfolding in the Middle East will have long-term consequences for world politics. Analysing perceptions is crucial to predicting the fallout. So how does the global Muslim community perceive Western governments' support of Israel's siege and aerial bombardment of Gaza?
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Turkey at 100A country struggling to find its place
Tensions with the West and ambitions to become a regional peacekeeping power have brought Turkey's grand strategy into focus. Will distancing itself from Western values and ideas of democracy end in the country disengaging from Europe?
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Hamas terror attack aftermathUnderstanding is crucial for change
Karim El-Gawhary has been reporting from the Middle East for more than 30 years. The wars he’s witnessed and reported on during this time have led him to the conclusion: security needs political solutions, not military ones
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Growing Arab dissatisfaction with the WestThe Arab world tilts eastwards
Arab public opinion is shifting on the topic of great power competition in the Middle East, with implications for the future of the region. By Walid Al-Sheikh
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Counterrevolution in the Arab worldAuthoritarianism, a forever scenario?
Calls to normalise relations with the criminal Assad regime, which has killed and displaced millions of Syrians, marks a new phase, namely the victory of the counter-revolutionaries. The old-style Arab regime is back – more brutal and oppressive than ever, as Ali Anouzla explains
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Racism in Arab societiesIt all depends on your origins
Criticism of prevailing religious and social conventions is still taboo in Arab discourse. But that urgently needs to change, so that we no longer judge people by their origins in future, but rather based on what they have achieved, says Egyptian writer Khaled al-Khamissi in his essay