Politics

The Burka Battle in France

Losing Sovereignty of Interpretation

The strict rejection of the burka by French president Nicolas Sarkozy has set off a political debate across the country that strongly recalls the 2004 controversy on the presence of religious symbols in public schools. Kersten Knipp reports
Interview with Wolfgang Schäuble on the Islam Conference

"We Are Tolerating One Another"

His long-term goal is to give Islam equality in Germany. German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble talks about the dialogue with the Muslims, German fears, and the Milli Görüs movement. Interview Sabine am Orde and Ulrich Schulte
Protests in Iran

"There's No Going Back!"

Despite the threats and violent tactics used to defend the regime, the "green opposition movement" continues to protest against electoral fraud in Iran. Alessandro Topa reports from the Teheran demonstrations
Italian-Libyan Relations

Reconciliation with Ulterior Motives

Muammar al-Gaddafi has made an art out of embarrassing his European hosts in public, and he was certainly on form during his recent state visit to Italy, where he unsubtly reminded Italy of its colonial past as he stepped off the plane. Bernhard Schmid reports
Controversial Election Results in Iran

A Silence that Speaks Volumes

Iran's Shia clerics are obviously unhappy with the current situation; their silence is deafening. In the run-up to the election, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad obviously made a number of enemies amongst the clergy. Bahman Nirumand has the details
European and American Policy on the Middle East

Inertia More Likely than Change

The victory of the hardliners in Iran and the lack of willingness by the Israeli government to make serious concessions to the Palestinians are setbacks for Obama's vision of peace and security in the region. An essay by Michael Lüders
The Aftermath of the European Elections in the Netherlands

Geert Wilders and the Right-Wing Populist Threat

The recent elections for the European Parliament showed that, as elsewhere, political change is on the rise in the Netherlands as well. Right-wing populist and anti-Islamic camps are gaining a voice in government, posing a threat to democratic culture, warns Ayman Mazyek
Controversial Election Results in Iran

No Alternative to Dialogue

Despite ongoing protests against Ahmadinejad's controversial victory in Iran's presidential election, the West must keep talking to the Iranian leadership. In his commentary, Peter Philipp says that the new strategy of dialogue should not be called into question
Volker Perthes' Study: "Iran – a Political Challenge"

Behind the Scenes of the Islamic Republic

Middle East expert Volker Perthes has written an objective, balanced analysis of the diverse and difficult subject of Iran. Particularly impressive is his success in representing the heterogeneity of Iranian society. Sebastian Sons read the study
Presidential Elections in Iran

Unorthodox Ways of Appealing to Voters

Although President Ahmadinejad's economic and political performance has been disastrous for many Iranians, the fact that so many voters are likely to stay at home could see him hold on to power. From Katajun Amirpur in Teheran
Parliamentary Elections in Lebanon

Dilemma over Forming a Government

Hezbollah has suffered an election defeat in Lebanon. This will remove some of the obstacles for international efforts towards normalising the situation in the region. Yet it will not be easy to form a government, writes Peter Philipp
Barack Obama's Speech to the Islamic World

"The President Has Spoken; Now We Are Waiting for Action!"

Obama touched Muslim hearts with his speech in Cairo – but now the Arab world is waiting for action to follow on from his words. Amira El Ahl listened to Obama's speech at the University of Cairo

Politics

Topics

Losing Sovereignty of Interpretation

"We Are Tolerating One Another"

"There's No Going Back!"

Reconciliation with Ulterior Motives

A Silence that Speaks Volumes

Inertia More Likely than Change

Geert Wilders and the Right-Wing Populist Threat

No Alternative to Dialogue

Behind the Scenes of the Islamic Republic

Unorthodox Ways of Appealing to Voters

Dilemma over Forming a Government

"The President Has Spoken; Now We Are Waiting for Action!"

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