Politics

The Media in Iraq

Freedom of Expression under Attack

Kidnappings, murder, and terror – to date almost 90 journalists have been killed in Iraq, more than in any other conflict. Two thirds of the victims were Iraqi nationals. Petra Tabeling reports
Analysis Nadje Al-Ali

Total Inversion of Cultural Codes and Moral Values in Iraq

Life has changed dramatically for women in Iraq, not only due the the war, but also due to the sanctions regime. Nadje Al-Ali, Marie Jahoda Guest Professor for International Women’s Research at the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, in 2003, has analysed the situation
Conference on Terrorism in the Philippines

"An Evil Hiding in the Shadows"

In the Philippines officials and experts from more than 50 nations were holding a meeting on ways to better focus the battle against international and regional terrorism which experts describe as an "evil hiding in the shadows". Douglas Bakshian reports
Kurdish Unrest in Turkey

Political Solutions Recede into the Distance

The renewed outbreak of armed conflict with the PKK has raised tensions in the southeast of Turkey and forced those calling for further democratic and political reforms to take a defensive position. Ömer Erzeren reports in full
"In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs"

Iran's Lost Generation

Though Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's thinking may be hard to tolerate, Christopher de Bellaigue does enable us to understand it. Katajun Amirpur has read his recent "Memoir of Iran"
Saudi Arabia

Understanding the Current Political Opening

In recent years international and domestic reform demands have injected new elements of openness into Saudi Arabia's political reality – but they have not altered the authoritarian nature of the political system fundamentally. By Amr Hamzawy
"Islam at the Crossroads"

A Look at Internal Islamic Discourses

Islam can be reformed — this is the main thesis of the new book "Islam at the Crossroads". This collection brings together short portraits of leading Muslim figures, offering insights into the current debates within Islam. A review by Martina Sabra
Nuclear Conflict with Iran

The Time Has Come for Direct Negotiations

Talks in Moscow have ended inconclusively. And Iran is still ignoring the UN ultimatum. In order not to let the conflict escalate any further, diplomatic solutions are needed now more than ever, according to Peter Philipp
Muslim Youths in France

Immigration for the Elite Only

Following last year's riots, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin promised better opportunities for disadvantaged Muslim youths. But the latest proposals would actually make it more difficult for them to integrate into society. By Florian Wagner
Analysis Michael Lüders

Islamism in Central Asia

In his new book, Michael Lüders focuses, in particular, on the states of Central Asia: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. He analyses why there are radical Islamic movements in these regions and how highly flammable flashpoints come about there
Turkmenistan

The Choice between Democracy and Major Loans

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has suspended issuing loans to Turkmenistan due to the country's precarious human rights situation. That's unlikely to bother its autocratic president. By Christiane Hoffmann
Integration Debate in Europe

Liberal Disclaimers

Citizenship tests are all the rage from Stuttgart to Vienna, from the Hague to Frankfurt. They posit a laissez-faire culture – and promote the very opposite, as Robert Misik argues in his opinion piece