Politics

Forming a Government in Afghanistan

Competence Is Not Enough

Hamid Karsai has to please everyone. As he distributes government posts, it is not competence which decides which candidates should get the job; Karsai has to take account of various interests. Ratbil Shamel reports
Somalia

The Hour of the Islamists

While Somalia's interim government still can't assert its authority, Islamic groups have been expanding their power base. The radical jihad fighters are hoping the political vacuum provides them with their chance. Marc Engelhardt reports
Polarisation of the Islamic and Western Worlds

Us against Them

The longer we talk about identity conflicts in the West and the Islamic world, the more certain we can be that they will come about, writes journalist Robert Misik in his anatomy of a war psychosis
European Migration Policy

Unqualified Migrants Not Wanted

Until now European states have regarded control of immigration policy as part of their sovereign powers. As a result, they were initially hesitant about EU-wide cooperation, but now there are signs that they are developing a common line. Bernhard Schmid reports
Central Asia

Death in Kazakhstan

The second mysterious death of a Kazakh opposition politician within three months highlights the shadowy nature of power in central Asia's largest republic.
By Joanna Lillis
Unrest in Nigeria

A Political Elite with No Plan of Action

Political agitators in Nigeria are using the dispute over caricatures of Mohammed as a pretext to incite violence between Muslims and Christians, writes Thomas Mösch in his commentary
Banning the Burka

Facing up to Islam in the Netherlands

As the Dutch parliament considers banning the burka from all public spaces, a measure that would apply to fifty or so women in total, Markha Valenta explores how a piece of clothing is disturbing the Netherlands' tradition of tolerance
Portrait of Ismail Hanija

The Unknown Head of Government

Little is known about the designated head of Palestine’s government, Ismail Hanija – except that he was Dean of the Islamic University and personal assistant to Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Peter Philipp reports
Interview with Amira Hass

Peace Process as an Empty Phrase

Amira Hass is the only Israeli journalist who shares the day-to-day lives of the Palestinians she writes about. In this interview, she talks about her latest book ("Gaza") and about the situation facing Palestinians who live in the occupied territories. Lennart Lehmann talked to her
Sudan

The End of the Beginning

More than a year after the signing of the peace accords between the government and southern rebels, Sudan is as torn apart as ever. While Khartoum is asking for more patience, those in Juba already regard the unity of the state as a lost cause. Marc Engelhardt reports
Mesbah Yazdi Supporters in Iran

Seizing Power

In the Islamic Republic, both liberal and conservative religious leaders warn that the "secret party" of Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi's followers is trying to take over the Council of Experts as part of a stealthy coup. Behzad Keshmiripour looks into the details
Protest against Mohammed Cartoons

"The Reactions Are Themselves Caricatures"

Raja Ben Slama, professor for literature in Tunisia, warns that violent reactions in the Islamic world to the caricatures of the Prophet seem proof that Islam indeed has a tendency to be narrow-minded and theologically rigid