Essays

"The people aren't ready" – can Arabs do democracy?

"The people aren’t ready for democracy" has been the constitutional basis for Arab tyranny, its favourite slogan and its sacred narrative for more than a century. Yet, asks Khaled Hroub, what chance does democracy have, unless it is repeatedly put to the test by the people at all levels of society?

How the 'War on Terror' destabilised the Middle East

Two decades after the attacks of 11 September 2001, the West faces the shattered debris of its failure – not only in Afghanistan, but also in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen. What went wrong in the war on terror? And what lessons can Europe learn from it? Essay by Kristin Helberg

What happened to Morocco's 2011 constitution?

Morocco's 2011 Arab Spring constitution has been hijacked by the deep state, which is asserting its own authoritarian interpretation and turning the clock back decades. Analysis by Mohamed Taifouri

Sharia – nightmare or ticket to salvation?

The Taliban, Islamic State, al-Qaida – for most Muslims their understanding of sharia is a nightmare. But what is sharia law really? Answers by Mathias Rohe

Is the Taliban takeover still in Pakistan's interest?

It is no secret that sections of the Pakistani security services have maintained close relationships with the Taliban for years. So what do Pakistan’s leaders expect from this victory, and what effect will it have on the country? Answers from Mohammad Luqman

Authors of 'War on Terror' in denial to the bitter end

How could the Afghan government and its institutions collapse so quickly? That things were going wrong in Afghanistan had been obvious for a long time, yet the West preferred to look the other way, writes Emran Feroz

What we Muslims need is a critical appraisal of Islamic law

Algerian scholar Said Djabelkhir rejects the charge of "offending Islam". In interview with Ismail Assam, he maintains that he has been wilfully misconstrued. At the same time, he stresses that he was talking in a "historical" manner about Islam, calling for it to move on from the era of fatwas and to look critically at Muslim religious heritage

Editor's picks

Dissidence and the Jewish diaspora

Jewish voices are much more diverse than the public often sees. Jewish men and women who oppose the injustice of Israeli occupation in the West Bank deserve our respect and protection against defamation, writes Charlotte Wiedemann

A parallel universe between the Jordan and the Med

The Germans have a fragmented perception of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and their discourse is dominated by certain catchphrases. All the while, there is a danger of losing sight of reality, writes Stefan Buchen in his essay