Essays
-
Habermas, the Sheikh Zayed Award and Arab reactionsHabermas and the contradictions of the Arab intellectual
Uproar, fuss and mutual accusation: following the German philosopher Juergen Habermas' rejection of the 2021 Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the social media posts by those involved in the Arabic cultural scene covered a broad spectrum. Islam Anwar takes a look for Qantara
-
German angst and the Sheikh Zayed Book AwardHabermas, philosopher of communication, rejects dialogue
Philosopher Juergen Habermas was due to be awarded a major Arab prize in Abu Dhabi, but has turned it down following criticism. This decision torpedoes Arab efforts at a substantive cultural dialogue and exposes the West’s moral hubris, says Stefan Weidner
-
Overpopulation and Sisi regime propagandaEgypt's people – nothing but a burden and a nuisance
Looking to mobilise the Egyptians, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and his ministers will refer to them as the "people". As soon as the Egyptians demand something of the state, however, they are a burden. Apparently, it is not the state that is accountable to the people, but the people who are accountable to the state, writes Shady Lewis Botros in his essay
-
"We are witnessing a crime against humanity"The Guardian: Arundhati Roy on India’s COVID catastrophe
It’s hard to convey the full depth and range of the trauma, the chaos and the indignity that people are being subjected to. Meanwhile, Modi and his allies are telling us not to complain. By Arundhati Roy
-
Execution for a Facebook post?Why blasphemy is a capital offence in some Muslim countries
The Prophet Muhammad never executed anyone for apostasy, nor encouraged his followers to do so. Nor is criminalising sacrilege based on Islam’s main sacred text, the Koran. In this essay, Ahmet Kuru exposes the political motivations for criminalising blasphemy and apostasy
-
Author and critic Elias Khoury"Lebanon has always rebelled against political repression"
For years the Arab intellectual elite looked to Lebanon, coveting its atmosphere of freedom. Feigning the non-existence of repression, Beirut welcomed intellectuals from across the region, published their works and celebrated them. Yet, even following the murder of Lokman Slim, the powers that be are incapable of controlling everything. An essay by Elias Khoury
-
Jamal Khashoggi's murder and U.S. intelligenceMohammed bin Salman – from darling to international pariah?
U.S. President Biden has announced he will be excluding Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from future talks between Washington and Saudi Arabia. Is this just lip service that will soon be subsumed by Saudi Arabia’s powerful bargaining position? Analysis for Qantara.de by Karim El-Gawhary
-
The legacy of the Arab Spring"The Syrian revolution is resumable today and tomorrow"
On the 10th anniversary of the Arab Spring we can’t quite escape that substance called remembrance. Yet, eschewing facile modes of nostalgic remembrance and/or tragic lamentation, we opt for asking questions. Yassin Al-Hajj Saleh reflects
-
"An Imaginary Racism: Islamophobia and Guilt"Deeply ignorant – Pascal Bruckner's hateful verbal crusade
In his controversial book published in 2020, French author Pascal Bruckner describes anti-Muslim sentiment as a fiction, claiming that the term "Islamophobia" is being used to silence criticism of the religion. Alexandra Senfft responds by highlighting the contradictions in a popular view of Islam and Muslims that leaves little room for nuance
-
Germany and the discussion surrounding "Political Islam"Berlin 2021 is not Tehran 1979
Several media reports in recent weeks have focused on the potential threat presented by Islamist groups in Germany. The discourse is fraught with generalisations, both sides accusing the other of their inability to differentiate, writes Tayfun Guttstadt